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Infectious diseases are the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer, and antibiotics are often necessary in their treatment. This report examines (1) how antibiotics are used in agriculture and the implications of that use for human health, (2) the federal roles and responsibilities for overseeing the use of antibiotics in agriculture, and (3) the issues surrounding the debate over whether to further regulate or restrict the use of antibiotics in agriculture. GAO found that antibiotics are used in agriculture to treat and prevent diseases in animals and in food plants and as a feed additive to improve the growth rate in animals. Several federal agencies have responsibilities regarding the use of antibiotics in agriculture. Approving antibiotics and setting allowable levels for antibiotic residues in food products are determined by the Food and Drug and Administration for animals and the Environmental Protection Agency for food plants. The debate over whether to further regulate or restrict the use of antibiotics in animals and plants centers around the risk their use may pose to human health relative to their benefits to agriculture.