Minnesota takes a 'One Health' approach to antibiotic stewardship

Minnesota has launched a comprehensive and multi-faceted plan to tackle the rise in drug-resistant bacteria and promote antibiotic stewardship. State officials are hoping the effort can break down some of the tension between human and animal health experts regarding antibiotic use and become a model for addressing the emerging public health crisis.

The 5-year plan, released in early July, calls for Minnesota's departments of health and agriculture, along with the Board of Animal Health and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), to work together to promote the judicious use of antibiotics in humans and animals and get a better sense of how antibiotic use is affecting environmental health. The idea of having all four agencies work on the issue is based on the One Health concept, which views the health of humans, animals, and the environment as being inter-connected.