Behaviour of animal health industry fueling ‘silent pandemic’ of superbugs, report warns

Behaviour of animal health industry fueling ‘silent pandemic’ of superbugs, report warns

The world's largest animal health companies are fueling the rise of superbugs and "failing to live up to responsibilities" to tackle the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a stark report has warned. The research, published on Wednesday , found that none of the largest 10 publicly listed animal health companies – which comprise roughly 40 per cent of the sector – have a comprehensive strategy to mitigate the impact of AMR. That's despite suggestions from the World Bank that agriculture is a "critical frontier" to tackle the rising threat of superbugs. Estimates suggest roughly 70 per cent of global antimicrobial use is linked to farming animals. Globally there are growing concerns about a "silent pandemic" of superbugs as, increasingly, the treatments we rely on to kill infections are not working. Already, drug-resistant bacteria kill roughly 700,000 people a year – a figure predicted to hit 10 million by 2050 if AMR continues at its current rate. But few new antibiotics are currently in the pipeline , making those that still work incredibly valuable. The latest report – published by an investor network called the FAIRR Initiative and backed by the UK's special envoy on AMR,