Guideline / position statementindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-CHK-118 standard review

WHO: stop using antibiotics to make farm animals grow

World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on use of medically important antimicrobials in food-producing animals.

Overview

Aidara-Kane A et al.. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2018 · PMID 29375825 · DOI 10.1186/s13756-017-0294-9

WHO recommends ending antibiotic use for growth promotion and for prevention in healthy animals.

Does the study support the specific claim? Yes · Methodological quality: high

Study explained simply

What did the researchers want to find out?: How should medically important antimicrobials be used in food-producing animals?
How was the study done?: Summary of WHO guideline developed with GRADE and commissioned systematic reviews
How many people, animals or samples were studied?: not applicable
What was actually found?: Recommends reduction in overall use of medically important antimicrobials, complete restriction of use for growth promotion and for disease prevention in healthy animals, and no use of critically important antimicrobials unless susceptibility testing shows they are the only option.
How large was the observed effect?: Recommends reduction in overall use of medically important antimicrobials, complete restriction of use for growth promotion and for disease prevention in healthy animals, and no use of critically important antimicrobials unless susceptibility testing shows they are the only option.
What do the results mean in everyday life?: The international health authority agrees that farm antibiotic use is a resistance problem.
What are the study's limitations?: Recommendations rest partly on low-certainty evidence
What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?: Supports the resistance concern; does not quantify human harm.
Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?: EU rules (Reg. 2019/6) largely implement these principles.
What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?: Not a measure of current use in any country.

Authors: Aidara-Kane A et al.
Journal: Antimicrob Resist Infect Control
Year: 2018
Identifier: PMID 29375825 DOI 10.1186/s13756-017-0294-9
Verification: verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26; Crossref 2026-10-26
Retracted: no
Corrections: none
Extent checked: abstract only
Conflicts of interest and funding: World Health Organization (PubMed grant list)

How should medically important antimicrobials be used in food-producing animals?

Study design: Guideline / position statement – Summary of WHO guideline developed with GRADE and commissioned systematic reviews
Population: Food-producing animals; global policy
Country: global
Period: 2017
Sample size: not applicable
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: as described in the abstract

Exposure / intervention: Use of antimicrobials for growth promotion and prevention
Comparator: Restricted use
Endpoints: AMR in animals and humans
Statistical methods: as reported in the abstract

Results: Recommends reduction in overall use of medically important antimicrobials, complete restriction of use for growth promotion and for disease prevention in healthy animals, and no use of critically important antimicrobials unless susceptibility testing shows they are the only option.
Absolute risks: not reported
Authors' conclusion: Stakeholders are urged to adopt these recommendations.

Not applicable.

International guideline confirming that use in animals selects resistance transmissible to humans.

WHO recommends ending antibiotic use for growth promotion and for prevention in healthy animals.

Multidimensional assessment
Multidimensional assessment
Authenticity of the source	verified
Methodological quality	high
Risk of bias	low
Precision of results	not applicable
Directness	direct
Reproducibility	unknown
Consistency with the overall evidence	consistent
Regional transferability	high
Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)	not applicable