Changes in the volume of antimicrobial use in Japan by year (unit: tons)[Current status of antimicrobial use in Japan]

Cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones are not used as drugs for aquatic animals or as antimicrobial feed additives or agrochemicals. As third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones are critically important antimicrobials for human medicine, they are positioned as a second-line drug for food-producing animals and used with great caution, based on assessments by the Food Safety Commission of Japan of their impact on human health via food. Accordingly, they account for only a small proportion of antimicrobials used in animals. Third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones also are positioned as second-line drugs for companion animals and are consequently used with caution.