Senators Ask FDA to Track Antibiotic Use on Farms

Four senators are asking the FDA to help address the growing questions surrounding antibiotic use in farm animals.

In October, FRONTLINE’s The Trouble With Antibiotics examined the question of whether widespread use of antibiotics in farm animals is contributing to the rise of drug-resistant superbugs in humans. More than 20,000 people die from such infections each year, and up to 2 million get sick from them.

Up to 70 percent of antibiotics sold in the United States are used in agriculture. Farms use antibiotics in animals to protect them from disease. Many historically have also used the drugs for a practice known as “growth promotion” — helping the animals grow faster on less feed.

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