California Adopts Strict Livestock Antibiotic Limits

Randall Weiseman Beef, Cattle, Dairy, Livestock, Pork, Poultry, Sheep-Goats

California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation that he says will curb the overuse of antibiotics in livestock. In a prepared statement, Governor Brown said “the science is clear that the overuse of antibiotics in livestock has contributed to the spread of antibiotic resistance and the undermining of decades of life-saving advances in medicine.” He called the overuse of antibiotics an urgent public health problem. The bill allows exemptions when a licensed veterinarian determines antimicrobial drugs are needed to treat a disease or infection, to control the spread of a disease, or in relation to surgery or a medical procedure, according to an analysis prepared for the Legislature. The law, which takes effect in 2018, also eliminates the availability of livestock antibiotics for over-the-counter sales.