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What Can YOU Do To Guard Yourself AND YOUR FAMILY against Antibiotic-Resistant Disease Killing Humans and Swine
- By kevin irish
- Published 13 May 2008
The antibiotic-resistant bacteria ExtendedSpectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL) is killing bothpeople and swine in Denmark.
The bacteria has been implicated in the deaths of a number of cancer and liver disease patients. The number of infected patients
jumped 50 percent last year. Health officials said the bacteria is being transmitted to humans through pigs. Theincreased use of
antibiotics in agriculture maybe behind the spread of the resistant strain. What are ESBLs? Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBLs)
are actually enzymes produced by certain types of bacteria, which renders the bacteria resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to
treat them. ESBLs were first discovered in the mid-1980s. Atthe time they were mostly found in the Klebsiella species of bacteria,
in hospital intensive care units. Until recently, few peoplewere affected by these mutated bacteria and itdidn't appear to be a
major growing concern. That has changed, however. According to theBritish Health Protection Agency (HPA),
a newclass of ESBL (called CTX-M enzymes) has emerged,which are now being widely detected among E.Colibacteria.
These ESBL-producing E. Coli areresistant to penicillins and cephalosporins, andare becoming more frequent in urinary tractinfections.
Other species of bacteria that can now produceESBLs include: K. pneumoniaeK. oxytocaSalmonellaProteus mirabilis Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The Problem is Worse Than You Think! According to a study published October 2007 inthe Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA),
there were close to 100,000 cases ofinvasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus (MRSA) infections in the United Statesin 2005,
which lead to more than 18,600 deaths. To put that number into perspective, HIV/AIDSkilled 17,000 people that year.
Antibiotic-resistant disease IS a major man-made problem. This was the study that propelled MRSA into thenews last year,
combined with a number of school outbreaks that took place around the same time. Discussions focused largely on reducing medical over-use of antibiotics, and proper hygiene suchas washing your hands with soap and water toreduce the spread of infectious disease.
But little has been said about the rampantover-use of antibiotics in agriculture, which isa MAJOR source of human antibiotic consumption, and hence increased antibiotic resistance. Agriculture as a Source of Antibiotic Resistance Both MRSA and ESBL are being traced back to animals raised for food production, especially pigs. These animals are often fed antibiotics at lowdoses for disease prevention
and growth promotion. Animals receiving antibiotics in their feed gain 4 to 5 percent more body weight than animals that do
not receive antibiotics, but the price is highfor you, the end consumer, because this practicealso creates the perfect conditions
for antibioticre sistance to flourish. Denmark's health officials claim they're unsure ofhow farmers and veterinarians, who have not consumed infected meat, are becoming infected.However, according to research cited on Johns Hopkins website, the main reservoir of these organisms is in the lower digestive tract, andthey can persist within the gastrointestinal tractfor months. So perhaps the answer doesn't have to be all that complicated. So, the meat industry practice of using antibioticsis indeed a driving force behind the development ofantibiotic resistance in a now wide variety of bacteria that cause human disease. The long stalemate on this issue constitutes astruggle between strong science and bad politics.The FDA finally banned the use of fluoroquinolones- a widely used class of antimicrobials -- from agricultural use August 1997, but not without theBayer Corporation kicking and screaming in vehement opposition.
After all, antibiotics for livestockuse is big business. It constitutes about 70percent of ALL antibiotic use! They couldn'treplace
that market with human consumers even ifthey tried. Other Agricultural Sources of Antibiotics Another heavily tainted meat product you should stayaway from is conventionally raised chicken. A 2006study published in the Journal ofInfectiousDiseases found that bacteria from conventional chicken and from people who ate the chicken became resistant to Synercid, a strong antibiotic used totreat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In essence, itcan cause resistance to the last lines of defense currently available in the modern medicine cabinet. It also found
that it was rare to find resistant bacteria among antibiotic-free chicken, while the majority of bacterial isolates from conventional poultry were resistant. But, the ramifications of using antibiotics in agriculture don't end there. Antibiotics filter down through the food chain in
sometimes non-suspecting ways. Antibiotics are also being transferred, via manure, into your food supply.
A 2007 study in the Journal of EnvironmentalQuality looked at whether food crops will accumulate antibiotics from soil covered with antibiotic-containing manure. In a greenhouse setting, corn, lettuce andpotatoes were grown on soil that contained hog manure with a commonly used veterinary antibiotic added. The antibiotics were absorbed by all threecrops, into both their leaves and tissue.
Meanwhile, the antibiotics also transferred to the potato tubers, suggesting that root crops like carrots, radishes and potatoes may
be particularly at risk of antibiotic accumulation. These findings unfortunately also have implications for organic farmers, who often use manure as their main source of fertilizer. And,as it stands, manure that contains antibioticsis still allowed under the organic label.
How to Avoid Excessive Antibiotic Exposure So how can you ensure that the food you feed to yourself and your family is pure and healthy?
Apart from growing it yourself, your best option is to get to know a local farmer near you -- one who uses non-toxic farming methods.
If you livein an urban area, there are increasing numbers of community-supported agriculture programs available that give you access to healthy, locally grownfoods even if you live in the heart of the city. If you are looking for a safer alternative tocommercially raised beef please be sure to checkout grass-fed beef. Grass-fed cattle are not routinely fed antibiotics. They may occasionally receive them for an infection,
but that would bethe rare exception, and even then they are onlyused for a few days. ====="Natural" is best, organic superior, and to learn how to undo the negative effects already suffered you, visit http://www.punksunn.healthebiz.hop.clickbank.net
The bacteria has been implicated in the deaths of a number of cancer and liver disease patients. The number of infected patients
jumped 50 percent last year. Health officials said the bacteria is being transmitted to humans through pigs. Theincreased use of
antibiotics in agriculture maybe behind the spread of the resistant strain. What are ESBLs? Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases (ESBLs)
are actually enzymes produced by certain types of bacteria, which renders the bacteria resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to
treat them. ESBLs were first discovered in the mid-1980s. Atthe time they were mostly found in the Klebsiella species of bacteria,
in hospital intensive care units. Until recently, few peoplewere affected by these mutated bacteria and itdidn't appear to be a
major growing concern. That has changed, however. According to theBritish Health Protection Agency (HPA),
a newclass of ESBL (called CTX-M enzymes) has emerged,which are now being widely detected among E.Colibacteria.
These ESBL-producing E. Coli areresistant to penicillins and cephalosporins, andare becoming more frequent in urinary tractinfections.
Other species of bacteria that can now produceESBLs include: K. pneumoniaeK. oxytocaSalmonellaProteus mirabilis Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
The Problem is Worse Than You Think! According to a study published October 2007 inthe Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA),
there were close to 100,000 cases ofinvasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus (MRSA) infections in the United Statesin 2005,
which lead to more than 18,600 deaths. To put that number into perspective, HIV/AIDSkilled 17,000 people that year.
Antibiotic-resistant disease IS a major man-made problem. This was the study that propelled MRSA into thenews last year,
combined with a number of school outbreaks that took place around the same time. Discussions focused largely on reducing medical over-use of antibiotics, and proper hygiene suchas washing your hands with soap and water toreduce the spread of infectious disease.
But little has been said about the rampantover-use of antibiotics in agriculture, which isa MAJOR source of human antibiotic consumption, and hence increased antibiotic resistance. Agriculture as a Source of Antibiotic Resistance Both MRSA and ESBL are being traced back to animals raised for food production, especially pigs. These animals are often fed antibiotics at lowdoses for disease prevention
and growth promotion. Animals receiving antibiotics in their feed gain 4 to 5 percent more body weight than animals that do
not receive antibiotics, but the price is highfor you, the end consumer, because this practicealso creates the perfect conditions
for antibioticre sistance to flourish. Denmark's health officials claim they're unsure ofhow farmers and veterinarians, who have not consumed infected meat, are becoming infected.However, according to research cited on Johns Hopkins website, the main reservoir of these organisms is in the lower digestive tract, andthey can persist within the gastrointestinal tractfor months. So perhaps the answer doesn't have to be all that complicated. So, the meat industry practice of using antibioticsis indeed a driving force behind the development ofantibiotic resistance in a now wide variety of bacteria that cause human disease. The long stalemate on this issue constitutes astruggle between strong science and bad politics.The FDA finally banned the use of fluoroquinolones- a widely used class of antimicrobials -- from agricultural use August 1997, but not without theBayer Corporation kicking and screaming in vehement opposition.
After all, antibiotics for livestockuse is big business. It constitutes about 70percent of ALL antibiotic use! They couldn'treplace
that market with human consumers even ifthey tried. Other Agricultural Sources of Antibiotics Another heavily tainted meat product you should stayaway from is conventionally raised chicken. A 2006study published in the Journal ofInfectiousDiseases found that bacteria from conventional chicken and from people who ate the chicken became resistant to Synercid, a strong antibiotic used totreat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In essence, itcan cause resistance to the last lines of defense currently available in the modern medicine cabinet. It also found
that it was rare to find resistant bacteria among antibiotic-free chicken, while the majority of bacterial isolates from conventional poultry were resistant. But, the ramifications of using antibiotics in agriculture don't end there. Antibiotics filter down through the food chain in
sometimes non-suspecting ways. Antibiotics are also being transferred, via manure, into your food supply.
A 2007 study in the Journal of EnvironmentalQuality looked at whether food crops will accumulate antibiotics from soil covered with antibiotic-containing manure. In a greenhouse setting, corn, lettuce andpotatoes were grown on soil that contained hog manure with a commonly used veterinary antibiotic added. The antibiotics were absorbed by all threecrops, into both their leaves and tissue.
Meanwhile, the antibiotics also transferred to the potato tubers, suggesting that root crops like carrots, radishes and potatoes may
be particularly at risk of antibiotic accumulation. These findings unfortunately also have implications for organic farmers, who often use manure as their main source of fertilizer. And,as it stands, manure that contains antibioticsis still allowed under the organic label.
How to Avoid Excessive Antibiotic Exposure So how can you ensure that the food you feed to yourself and your family is pure and healthy?
Apart from growing it yourself, your best option is to get to know a local farmer near you -- one who uses non-toxic farming methods.
If you livein an urban area, there are increasing numbers of community-supported agriculture programs available that give you access to healthy, locally grownfoods even if you live in the heart of the city. If you are looking for a safer alternative tocommercially raised beef please be sure to checkout grass-fed beef. Grass-fed cattle are not routinely fed antibiotics. They may occasionally receive them for an infection,
but that would bethe rare exception, and even then they are onlyused for a few days. ====="Natural" is best, organic superior, and to learn how to undo the negative effects already suffered you, visit http://www.punksunn.healthebiz.hop.clickbank.net
