Environment
Federal curb of animal antibiotic meant to protect human health
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By JENNIFER KALISH
Capital News Service
LANSING — For the first time, federal authorities are banning an antibiotic in livestock because of fears that some human diseases are becoming resistant to it. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ban on cephalosporin will apply only to uses not specified by the drug’s label. “Most antibiotics were developed for use in humans in the first place,” said Steve Halstead, the state veterinarian at the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Many have other uses not stated on their labels, often due to a lack of research funding to ensure the safety of those uses. Cephalosporin is most commonly used to treat human infections of the skin, respiratory tract and urinary tract.