China
#00283
SuccessNational
Implements
#00382 End antimicrobial growth promotion and routine prophylactic use in food production
Implementer
Government of China, veterinary authorities and food-animal producers
Location
China34.5412, 108.9237
Description
China banned colistin as a growth-promoting feed additive in 2017 after plasmid-mediated mcr-1 resistance was identified in animals, food and people. Researchers compared colistin use, resistant Escherichia coli and mcr-1 prevalence before and after the withdrawal. The ban was followed by substantial short-term declines in colistin resistance and mcr-1 prevalence in samples from animals and humans. Colistin remained available for legitimate veterinary treatment.
Lessons learned
- Removing a medically important antimicrobial from feed can rapidly reduce a resistance gene when agricultural use is a major selection pressure.
- One Health sampling across animals and people can demonstrate whether a sector-specific policy has broader effects.
- A successful ban still requires ongoing surveillance of therapeutic use and replacement products to detect substitution effects.
Sources
2