Canadian Farms Use 3 Times More Antibiotics Than Those in EU: Federal Report

Report says the higher dosage used in poultry increases risk of developing antimicrobial resistance in humans

Cows and their calves on a farm near Cremona, Alta., on June 26, 2019. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Canadian farms are using three times the amount of antibiotics in poultry, cattle, and pigs than farms in the European Union, raising the risk of developing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans, says a report by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

Published late last November, the report estimated that the number of Canadian deaths associated with AMR reached 14,000 in 2018, with 5,400 directly caused by the phenomenon, which occurs when bacteria, viruses, and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them.

“In comparison to 2020 data from 31 European countries, Canada distributed the sixth highest quantity of antimicrobials intended for use in animals,” said the report, titled “Canadian Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System Report,” as first reported by Blacklock’s Reporter.

“In 2020, the quantity of antimicrobials sold in Canada (mg/PCU) for production animals was three times higher than the median of the 31 European countries.”

The EU has restricted antibiotics in farm production since 1997.

In May 2017, the federal Department of Health issued a regulatory notice restricting the private importation of antibiotics for use on poultry and livestock.

“Many antimicrobials that are important to treat humans are freely available for use in animals without veterinary oversight,” the notice said.

“This lack of regulatory oversight allows food animal producers to import large quantities of unapproved drugs, and enables these producers to administer such drugs to entire herds.”

‘Misuse and Overuse’

Testifying before the Commons health committee a month after the regulatory notice was issued, Mary-Jane Ireland, then-director general of the health department’s veterinary drugs directorate, said antimicrobials and other drugs go in feed because that is “the most logical way to treat a large number of animals.”

However, “with misuse and overuse” of antimicrobials, producers will find themselves with fewer options to treat their animals.

“Access to the antimicrobials, for both the veterinarian and the producers, is what we are trying to ensure. We’re also trying to ensure that the first line, second line, and third line antimicrobials remain effective now and into the future,” Ireland said.

“We'd like to keep all of those options open for their animal welfare and their production systems. These are the family farms, and they need those treatment options.”

In May 2018, the health committee, headed by then-Liberal MP Bill Casey, submitted a report to the House of Commons expressing concerns about the more than 18,000 AMR hospitalizations in the country every year, according to PHAC.

“The committee heard that many of these patients, whose health is already compromised, may suffer and die unnecessarily as a result of these infections,” the report said.

The PHAC report noted that the changes made to Food and Drug regulations in May 2017 require manufacturers, importers, and compounders to provide annual sales reports of medically important antimicrobials intended for use in animals, starting 2018.

“Between 2019 and 2020, the quantity of antimicrobials sold for use in all animals increased by 6.5 percent, from 0.98 million to 1.05 million kg,” the report said.

“This was largely driven by sales of antimicrobials for production animals (farmed livestock, aquaculture and horses).”