Veterinary use

of antibiotics critical
to human health
The World Health Organization, the Food periods and export slaughter intervals in
and Agriculture Organization and the World the case of food-producing animals. Where
Organization for Animal Health are working possible, choices should be based on culture
to protect the effectiveness of antimicrobials and susceptibility testing and the narrowest
in the face of rapidly increasing resistance in spectrum drugs effective against the infection.
serious and life-threatening pathogens. Alternatives to antimicrobial use – such as
Antimicrobial use in animals contributes changes in husbandry, management and
to the selection and spread of resistance. infection prevention and control – should
Veterinarians must help preserve existing also be explored in each case. The overriding
antibiotics and fight the serious public health principle of antimicrobial prescribing is to use
threat of antimicrobial resistance. Veterinarians as little as possible but as much as necessary to
need to carefully consider how they prescribe address the infection.
antibiotics, especially those that are critical Following diagnosis, consider using the first
in human medicine, to help preserve these line antimicrobials along with alternative
lifesaving drugs for the future. treatment approaches.
The table on the next page outlines in a Second line use should be limited where
broad and general sense how veterinarians possible to when susceptibility testing or
should use the antibiotics critical to human clinical results have proven that first line
medicine identified by Australia’s Antimicrobial antibiotics are not effective.
Resistance Standing Committee. Responsible Third line antimicrobials are for use as a last
use of these antibiotics should have a limited resort. They should be used only when other
impact on human medicine. In making a options are unavailable and wherever possible
therapeutic decision, you will also need to only after susceptibility testing has been
consider other issues, for example, withholding completed.
 Pigs Poultry Cattle Sheep Aquaculture Horses Dogs and Cats
(no products registered)

First line use Amoxicillin Amoxicillin (not Ampicillin/ Amoxicillin Oxytetracycline Amoxicillin Amoxicillin
Erythromycin layers) Amoxicillin Erythromycin Florfenicol Bacitracin Bacitracin
Chlortetracycline Erythromycin (not Erythromycin Chlortetracycline Oxytetracycline Chlortetracycline
Oxytetracycline layers) Oxytetracycline Oxytetracycline Sulphonamides Doxycycline
Sulphonamides Neomycin Sulphonamides Framycetin Penicillin Penicillin
Kitasamycin Tylosin (not layers) Oleandomycin Neomycin Chloramphenicol Chloramphenicol
Tilmicosin Chlortetracycline Tilmicosin Penicillin Framycetin Framycetin
Tylosin Oxytetracycline Tylosin Neomycin Neomycin
Penicillin (not layers) Penicillin Streptomycin Streptomycin
Florfenicol Zinc bacitracin Florfenicol
Neomycin Framycetin
Neomycin
Streptomycin

Second line use Amoxicillin- Apramycin (not Amoxicillin- Amoxicillin- Amoxycillin- Amoxicillin-
clavulanate layers) clavulanate clavulanate clavulanate clavulanate
Apramycin Spectinomycin Cefuroxime Cloxacillin Cloxacillin Cephalexin
Lincomycin Lincomycin Cloxacillin Framycetin Gentamicin Cephalonium
Trimethoprim- Tiamulin (not Apramycin Trimethoprim- Trimethoprim- Cloxacillin
Sulphonamides layers) Lincomycin sulphonamide sulphonamides Clindamycin
Tiamulin Trimethoprim- Trimethoprim- Lincomycin
Tulathromycin sulphonamides sulphonamides Gentamicin
Spectinomycin (not layers) Tulathromycin Trimethoprim-
sulphonamides
Spiramycin/
metranidazole

Third line use Ceftiofur Virginiamycin (not Ceftiofur Virginiamycin Ceftiofur Ceftiofur
layers) Polymyxin B Polymyxin B Fluoroquinolones Cefovecin
Virginiamycin (Enrofloxacin) Fluoroquinolones
Virginiamycin (Enrofloxacin
Polymyxin B Marbofloxacin
Nitrofurans Orbifloxacin
Bafloxacin)
Nitrofurazone
Polymyxin B

Use prohibited Fluoroquinolones Fluoroquinolones Fluoroquinolones Fluoroquinolones

Gentamicin Gentamicin Gentamicin Gentamicin
Chloramphenicol Chloramphenicol Chloramphenicol Chloramphenicol
Nitrofurans Nitrofurans Nitrofurans Nitrofurans

Critically important Colistin Amikacin Meropenem

antimicrobials not Rifampicin Vancomycin
registered for use Teicoplanin
in animals that Amikacin
should not be used Aztreonam
off-label except Tigecycline
in exceptional Ceftaralone
circumstances for Ceftriaxone
individual animals Cefotaxime
Linozelid
Nitrofurans
Fusidanes
Ticarcillin-
clavulanate
Rifampicin

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare. AMRSC Importance Ratings and Summary of Antibacterial Uses in Humans in Australia, Sydney. ACSQHC, 2014.
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