Malaysia bans use of antibiotic colistin in animal feed

The antibiotic colistin will be banned in Malaysia beginning in 2019.

shcherbak volodymyr, istock
shcherbak volodymyr, istock

The antibiotic colistin, used by farmers and treated as a growth-promoting agent, will be banned in animal feed in Malaysia, beginning January 1, and may soon be banned in India, according to reports.

Malaysia's Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) will monitor "animal farms and processing plants, and if the animals or animal products were found to contain antibiotic residue or other drugs, the operators’ licenses would be revoked," a report from the Star Online said.Delhi-based think-tank, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said a ban on the use of the antibiotic colistin "would be a step in the right direction.”

A report from London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism this year revealed that Venky’s, the source of chicken for leading fast-food brands in India such as KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Domino's Pizza, has been supplying colistin to farmers to help grow chickens.

While many countries have banned the use of antibiotics, other countries have strict laws about their use pre-harvest. The CSE explained though that it fears the use of antibiotics for non-therapeutic use may lead to resistance against these antibiotics, thereby contributing to the rising threat of antimicrobial resistance.

The use of colistin is already banned in the United States, Europe and China. At this time, there are no regulations on its use in India.

The ban on colistin in livestock feed is an attempt to prohibit antibiotics that are considered critical for human use. Colistin has been used for decades in human medicine, but is not often used because of its kidney toxicity. Resistance to colistin in human pathogens is rare. According to Wikipedia, "the first colistin-resistance gene in a plasmid which can be transferred between bacterial strains was found in 2011 in China and became publicly known in November 2015. The presence of this plasmid-borne gene was confirmed starting December 2015 in Southeast Asia, several European countries and the United States." Colistin is known as a drug of last resort, which is used after all other options fail to produce the desired outcome.

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