EU to end high-level zinc oxide use for piglets in 5 years

If they were using zinc oxide to control post-weaning diarrhoea, pigproducers in the European Union will soon have to start looking foralternatives. The European Commission has voted to phase out zinc oxide as aveterinary instrument in the entire union

如果他们继续使用氧化锌来控制断奶后的腹泻，欧盟的养猪场很快就要开始寻找替代品了。欧盟委员会已投票决定将氧化锌作为整个欧盟的兽医手段逐步淘汰。

The outcome of the commission does not come as a surprise, as the adviceof the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) to thecommission had already been to ban the high-level use of zinc oxide.

由于兽医委员会(CVMP)委员会已经建议禁止高水平的氧化锌的使用,因此委员会做出的决定并不令人惊讶。

Zinc oxide’s mode of action

氧化锌的作用

Zinc can be applied at low dosages (around 150 ppm) to weaners as anutritional component. Usage in high levels as zinc oxide (around 2,500 ppm)has been shown to be an effective strategy to prevent and control e.g.post-weaning diarrhoea problems.

锌可用于低剂量(约150 ppm)作为一种营养成分。高水平的氧化锌(约2500 ppm)已被证明是预防和控制诸如断奶仔猪腹泻问题的有效策略。

The strategy is therefore widely used in various countries, the UK, Spainand Denmark being a few of them. The European Commission zoomed in on theeffects of usage of zinc oxide at the request of the Netherlands and France.

该使用方法被广泛应用于如英国、西班牙和丹麦等各个国家。在荷兰和法国的要求下，欧盟委员会对氧化锌使用的影响进行了放大。

Effects of zinc oxide on the environment 

氧化锌对环境的影响

The application of zinc oxide is considered a key alternative to thereduction of antibiotics usage. The European Commission, however, pointed tozinc oxide having a serious impact on the environment as much of the substancegets excreted and ends up in fields when the manure is applied on the lands.From the side of the UK, this environmental impact is heavily contested.

氧化锌的应用被认为是减少抗生素使用的一个关键选择。然而，欧盟委员会指出，氧化锌已经对环境产生了严重的影响，因为当物质都排泄出来当肥料在土地上施用时，就会出现在田地里。从英国的角度看，这种环境影响是有很大争议的。

In some studies, the use of zinc oxide has been associated with theoccurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the resistantbacteria might carry zinc-resistance genes. In addition, certain antimicrobialeffects are suspected, e.g. by the Netherlands Veterinary Medicines Institute(SDa). Again, these outcomes are also under debate.

在一些研究中，氧化锌的使用与耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌(MRSA)的发生有关，因为耐药细菌可能携带锌耐药基因。此外，还怀疑某些抗菌药物的作用，例如荷兰兽药研究所(SDa)。同样，这些结果也在争论中。

Effect for the UK in the light of Brexit 

英国退欧对英国的影响

Last week, the decision was made by the Standing Committee on VeterinaryMedicinal Products (CVMP) of the European Commission in Brussels, to withdrawthe marketing authorisation for all veterinary products containing zinc oxidewithin 5 years.

上周，该决定由位于布鲁塞尔的欧盟委员会兽医产品(CVMP)的常设委员会决定，在5年内撤销所有含有氧化锌的兽医产品的市场授权。

For the United Kingdom, it is unclear what the outcome will be inpractice, seeing that the country is in the process to secede from the EuropeanUnion (Brexit). The 5-year period might be longer than it takes the country tostep out of the union.

对于英国来说，目前还不清楚在实践中会有什么样的结果，因为英国正处于脱离欧盟(英国退欧)的进程中。5年的时间可能比这个国家退出欧盟的时间更长。