Are the antimicrobials used in animals the same ones used in people?
Antimicrobials and antibiotics are grouped in “classes” based upon their mechanism of action (how they affect the bacteria, viruses and fungi). There are only a few classes that are specific to either human medicine or veterinary medicine. In fact, the vast majority of antibiotic classes are used in both humans and animals, so there really is no such thing as “human drugs used in animals.” Many antimicrobials used in human medicine are not approved for use in animals or are, quite simply, too expensive to use in animals.
