The United Nations General Assembly passed a declaration aiming to slow down the spread of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics. The U.S. is well underway in following the U.N.’s directive. Animal health companies are eliminating the use of antibiotics important to human medicine for the purpose of promoting growth in animals. In many cases, these antibiotics will only be available under a Veterinary Feed Directive, essentially a prescription from a veterinarian, starting the first of the year.
The revelation that a bacteria resistant to an antibiotic of last resort has been found in the United States is a big deal and something public health officials are taking very seriously, as they should. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in late May that E. coli bacteria carrying what’s known as…
There are growing concerns that on-farm antibiotic use is harming public health by contributing to antibiotic resistance in people. But, what is the connection between antibiotics used in food animals and the risk of human antibiotic treatment failure? It’s a tough question and a scientifically-verified answer is not readily available. It’s a serious issue and…