Source: MEATINGPLACE, 11/12/15

A task force of educators and animal health specialists proposed several university-based projects to address the problem of antibiotic resistance in animal agriculture and suggested creating a central organization to coordinate research.

The task force, created last fall by the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, released a report that proposes:

• Creating a model antibiotic resistance curriculum that could be used for undergraduate, graduate and professional courses in the animal and health sciences.
• Developing training materials for human and animal health professionals.
• Implementing educational programs for producers and farmers.
• Promoting research to improve understanding of how antibiotic resistance functions.
• Investigating alternatives to current antibiotics.
• Improving detection methods.

The group, called the Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance in Production Agriculture, also said it would work with Congress and the USDA to increase access to veterinary care in rural communities and form a national consortium of researchers to conduct in-depth studies and implement possible solutions.

"Our goal is to elevate antibiotic resistance to the top of the national agenda as a public health threat, while leveraging the collective strengths of the nation's educational, professional and policymaking sectors to enhance our knowledge of this biologically complex and poorly understood phenomenon," said Willie Reed, dean of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine.

For more stories, go to www.meatingplace.com.