Global initiatives to phase-out colistin use in food-producing animals.

UNLABELLED: Colistin (polymyxin E) is a former exclusive veterinary antimicrobial and one of the oldest antibiotics that is currently recognized as one of the highest priority and critically important antimicrobials for human medicine. For food animals, colistin is extensively used for multiple medical and nonmedical purposes, particularly for growth promotion, prophylaxis/metaphylaxis, and therapeutic purposes. As a result, colistin resistance is widespread along the food chain and is linked to multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in humans. Furthermore, human medicine is more reliant on colistin for serious infections in healthcare settings. As a result, different types of national bans/restrictions in food- producing animals have been implemented around the world.

CONCLUSIONS: The testimonies of 29 countries representing global initiatives to phase-out colistin use in animal production.