The growing concern for drug-resistant infections, which are linked to 2 million illnesses and 23,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, has the White House taking measures to preserve the effectiveness of infection-fighting drugs.
The new national strategy announced last week calls for specific steps to prevent the spread of the drug-resistant bacteria and to accelerate the research and development of new antibiotics by 2020, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The measure coincides with the release of a report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) that reiterates that bacteria are growing resistant to antibiotics in large part because the drugs are being used too frequently in humans and also, perhaps, in animals raised for food.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has asked drug companies to voluntarily phase out antibiotics used to promote growth in animals. Antibiotics will still be recommended for use by farmers and ranchers to treat and prevent diseases in their animals.