Concerns have long been raised over the presence of antibiotics in the meat we eat. Now, a federal analysis has shown that many of those antibiotics are likely to blame for the increasing number of bacterial infections resistant to treatment in humans.
This conclusion is the result of an FDA analysis, details of which were obtained by the Natural Resources Defense Council through legal action. The study evaluated 30 different penicillin and tetracycline additives present in animal feed over the past decade. Eighteen were deemed “high risk” to humans. Scientists did not have enough data to evaluate the other 12.
When antibiotics are routinely fed to livestock, bacteria develop resistance to them. If people are later exposed to this bacteria, we see a dangerous situation in which antibiotics are ineffective at treating bacterial infections. In the U.S., two million people fall ill from antibiotic-resistant infections each year, and roughly 23,000 of those lose their lives.
The FDA has recognized the danger of antibiotic overuse in animals since the 1970s, yet the problem persists. Last year, the FDA implemented a strategy aimed at phasing out the use of an antibiotic in livestock if it is medically important to humans. So far, they have restricted the use of cephalosporins, an antibiotic used to treat strep throat and pneumonia.
Hopefully, we will see more progress in the coming year. In the meantime, consider supporting meat suppliers that are committed to rearing antibiotic-free livestock.
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Photo, taken on May 31, 2010, courtesy of Christopher Bulle via Flickr.
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Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.