The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday placed a ban on the use of colistin as a coccidiostat in animal feed.

NAFDAC announced the ban in a regulatory directive signed by the agency’s Director General, Prof. Christianah Mojisola Adeyeye.

Adeyeye said NAFDAC decided to take such a step in a statement where she also explained that colistin is an antibiotic meant for therapeutic purposes in veterinary.

“It is used for the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by sensitive bacteria (e.g. Salmonella and Escherichia coli) in rabbits, pigs, poultry, cattle, sheep and goats,” she said.

“In poultry and swine production, colistin sulfate is indicated for the prevention and control of gastrointestinal diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp.”

According to her, antimicrobials are used in veterinary medicine for treating and preventing animal disease.

Adeyeye said the global annual consumption of antimicrobials intended for animal use is on the increase and it is believed that the excessive use of antimicrobials in animal production is a major factor contributing to the global rise in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

AMR which is a global health and development threat occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.

As a result, the medicines become ineffective and infections persist in the body, increasing the risk of spread to others.

She pointed out that Colistin, an antibiotic is a cyclic polypeptide antibiotic and has bactericidal action against selected Gram negative bacteria.

The NAFDAC boss stated that it is a last resort drug for the treatment of infections caused by multidrug resistant Gram negative bacteria.

“Colistin was banned because of its nephrotoxicity and neurotoxicity activity in humans; however, it was reintroduced to treat carbapenem resistance in Gram negative bacteria,” Adeyeye said.

“Unfortunately, colistin resistance mechanisms have now been documented in Enterobacteriaceae strains capable of producing carbapenemase, making them resistant to both classes of drugs and a global health concern.”

Adeyeye stated that as a result, the use of Colistin as a Coccidiostat in animal feed is banned.
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