Why are we ignoring the role of livestock in antibiotic resistance?

With 80% of the antibiotics in the U.S. being used on animals entering our food chain, it may be time to start considering the role this plays in the issue of antibiotic resistance. The UK’s Chief Medical Examiner, Professor Dame Sully Davies, cautions, “We need to work with everyone to ensure the apocalyptic scenario of

With 80% of the antibiotics in the U.S. being used on animals entering our food chain, it may be time to start considering the role this plays in the issue of antibiotic resistance. The UK’s Chief Medical Examiner, Professor Dame Sully Davies, cautions, “We need to work with everyone to ensure the apocalyptic scenario of widespread antimicrobial resistance does not become a reality. This threat is arguably as important as climate change for the world.” The UK is urging new measures to reduce the overuse of antibiotics, supported by evidence from the Environmental Working Group in the US and the Ontario Medical Association in Canada. The overuse of antibiotics could cause ordinary infections to have a much greater impact on us, putting us at risk without antibiotics to treat them.

Ecologist, 6/13/13

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