From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.Regulators in the United States are asking companies that make antibiotic drugs to tell farmers to stop using some of the drugs on livestock.Antibiotics are medicines use to fight bacteria and infections.Large animal farms around the world often use small amount of antibiotics to help healthy animals grow faster with less feed.They put the antibiotics in the food and water they give to cows, chickens and pigs.Opponents of this use of antibiotic say it adds to worldwide resistance to such drugs.Public health experts say, using an antibiotic on an animal gives bacteria the chance to built double defense against the drug.This makes antibiotics less effective when they are used to fight diseases in humans.Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asked drug companies to voluntarily change the words on the containers of antibiotics so far use in farm animals.Michael Taylor is the agency's Deputy Commissioner."With these changes, there will be fewer approved uses, and the remaining uses will be under tighter control to minimize the impact on resistance," said Taylor.
