Antibiotic abuse on cattle farms is “a serious concern” that can lead to increased infections in humans, a prominent microbiologist said following The Sunday Times of Malta’s exposure of lax controls.

Michael Borg said studies showed the uncontrolled use of antibiotics on farms led to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which could then be transferred from animals to humans.

“This means infections become more and more difficult to treat,” Dr Borg said.

He was replying to questions after an investigation by The Sunday Times of Malta revealed antibiotics used on farm animals could be easily purchased over the counter without a prescription.

The antibiotics were bought from a pet shop manned by someone who clearly had no medical knowledge. The shop had a backroom where people were given what he recommended “from experience”. This was one of a number of pet shops offering this ‘service’.

There has been a concerted effort by health authorities to encourage doctors and patients to use antibiotics wisely.  Unfortunately, little progress has been made to reduce the use of antibiotics on farms, where these drugs are also administered. They are used on healthy animals to promote growth or to prevent disease in crowded or unsanitary conditions, according to a veterinary who spoke to The Sunday Times of Malta.

This raises a number of questions about how medication is being administered by farmers and the consequences for public health because of the milk and meat consumed. Excessive use of antibiotics can also lead to them seeping into the water table as farms lack adequate waste management facilities.

Questions sent to the Health Ministry two weeks ago about what steps were taken to ensure shop owners stopped distributing antibiotics without a prescription remained unanswered.Meanwhile, reports from different sources also reached this newspaper about individuals who were not trained professionals and who were visiting farms and stables handing out medical advice and pills. When asked this, the Agriculture Department said it had “received no reports in this regard”.The department said checks were carried out during “routine inspections” on farms. Every farm has around three planned visits a year.

Farmers used to have the assistance of a vet supplied by the Koperattiva Produtturi tal-Ħalib but this service stopped in early 2000. KPĦ said milk producers “preferred to have the freedom to choose the vet of their trust”.

Vets described this decision as “naive at best”. Vet services are deemed expensive by farmers who first try to sort it out as best they can. Farmers speak to their trusted outlets, or anyone who will give them the medication they need.

International scientific studies concluded over two decades that there is a connection between antibiotic use in animals and the loss of effectiveness of these drugs in human medicine. The overuse and misuse of certain drugs has put pressure on bacteria to evolve and become resistant, which in turn has created “superbugs” that are in many cases completely untreatable.

No new antibiotics have been discovered since the 1980s so resistance means the world can run of effective remedies.

caroline.muscat@timesofmalta.com