“As soon as
antibiotics were discovered and developed for medical use, bacteria began the
Darwinian ‘arms race’ that has been fought ever since.” So wrote Steve Heilig in the most
recent Journal of the San Francisco Medical Society, where he is a director.
Due to overuse of antibiotics, “antimicrobial resistance has reached a crisis
stage in human medicine.” You are
doubtless aware that doctors should not prescribe antibiotics for viral
infections (colds and flu) unless there is good evidence of an additional
bacterial infection. You may not
know that 70 to 80 percent of all antibiotics produced by U.S. companies are
used in farm animals. These animals
are often penned in crowded, dirty conditions; they are fed low doses of antibiotics
to prevent infections and promote
growth. Bacteria are killed by the
low doses used, but some develop mutations that make them immune to the
drugs. These bacteria are passed
on to the farmers, their contacts, and the consumer. Thorough cooking can destroy them, but beware of cutting
boards, knives, your hands, and ‘rare’ burgers.
In a 1976 study,
small amounts of tetracycline were given to a flock of chickens by a researcher. He found that the chickens began to
carry bacteria resistant to tetracycline and
other antibiotics. So did the
farmers who tended them. Based on
this kind of evidence, in 1977 the FDA announced plans to ban the feeding of
low doses of antibiotics to livestock.
However, there was strong backpressure from legislators and
agribusiness, and the FDA failed to act on its own recommendation. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the
Centers for Disease Control, the National Academy of Sciences, and the World
Health Organization had identified subtherapeutic use of antibiotics as a human
health issue. More than 30 years
later, in 2011, the FDA reacted when sued by the Natural Resources Defense
Council and other groups. It
revoked its 1977 recommendation (never implemented) and said a ‘voluntary
effort’ would be more effective.
There is no evidence that this has worked. Currently there are over 90,000 deaths per year due to
antibiotic resistance. The Centers
for Disease Control are alarmed.
We all should be.
You may have
heard of a dreaded bacterium called MRSA – methicillin resistant Staphylococcus
aureus, which is found in the community as well as in hospitals. MRSA related deaths in the U.S. have
risen to over 19,000 per year. from antibiotic resistant bacteria. In Iowa, large pig farms where 2000
pigs are confined shoulder to shoulder, nearly half of these animals carry MRSA
according to a 2009 study. Almost
half the workers there carry MRSA as well.
Here’s news
close to home – an Iowa pig farmer who used routine antibiotics joined Niman
Ranch’s pork collective; he stopped confining his animals and using
antibiotics. He found he had the same results as Danish farmers who banned
subtherapeutic antibiotics in 2000.
Pork production rose, and the incidence of resistant bacteria fell
dramatically in people and animals.
What can we do
to protect ourselves, our children and the public? There is a microbiologist in Congress, Louise Slaughter, a
Democrat from New York. Every year
she introduces a bill called The Preservation
of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act. We should make sure our
congressman, Jared Huffman, supports this bill. We should refuse to buy or eat meat, poultry, eggs or fish
treated with antibiotics. If it is
labeled organic, this is a given. Otherwise, ask the butcher behind the
counter. Trader Joe’s shoppers answered a poll by Consumer Union; 69% wanted
the store to stop selling meat raised on antibiotics. The store has hedged on this; although they do sell some antibiotic-free
meats, they “do not presume to make choices” for their customers. Bring up this
issue when you shop there. Whole Foods does not sell antibiotic-raised
meats. While these personal
choices can make the meat you buy more expensive, eating less of it, and using
it as a condiment/flavoring for vegetables is a wise move. When you eat out, ask about the source
of the meat, be sure it is not too rare, or go vegetarian. There is no conclusive proof as yet that
taking a daily probiotic pill, or eating yogurt with live cultures is helpful,
but some studies point in that direction.
I think it’s a good idea.
Sadja Greenwood, MD back issues at sadjascolumns.blogspot.com
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