Some unscrupulous poultry farmers are reportedly feeding Anti Retroviral (ARVs) drugs and antibiotics to chickens to make them grow faster.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) livestock officer Dr Nkululeko Dube said the practice poses dangers to humans when they consume meat from such animals. He said:
People use tablets like ARVs, cotrimoxazole and other antibiotics to feed their chickens so they genetically grow faster.
Eating such meat makes us resistant to medicines because these antibiotics are not meant for animals but people. When we feed on meat from these animals, we develop resistance to medicines.
The issue was discussed by scientists from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Animal Welfare and veterinary services department in Victoria Falls in last work.
Anti Retroviral (ARVs) are given to people diagnosed with HIV/Aids and their abuse could be a factor in the shortage of the drug on the market.