Antibiotic resistance has become a clinical nightmare and a public health emergency. Genetic microbe mutations and over exposure to antibiotics has resulted in skyrocketing antibiotic resistance illnesses and deaths in the past two decades. A majority of antibiotics manufactured are administered to farm food animals. Not only are they overused in the treatment of illnesses, but they are given for sub-therapeutic reasons as well. They are frequently administered to increase growth and size of animals and maintain a longer shelf life of meat products. “The use of antibiotics as growth promotion agents in animal feed has contributed to the development of antibiotic resistant pathogens. The negative impact on national and global health outcomes is a real and present danger that will only increase with time unless strong action is taken to limit this practice” (Duckenfield 335).
Health officials are uncovering the misuse of antibiotics on livestock and realizing the harmful, indirect contributions they’re making on human resistance and a disruption of normal, healthy gastrointestinal flora. European nations have implemented stricter rules about antibiotic use in livestock, but the United States continues to lag behind (Duckenfield 333). The Food and Drug Administration has released Guidance for Industry 213 to set a voluntary framework of requirement in order to regulate the use of antibiotics in food animals; however, further efforts are required.
Even though many opposing critics and health officials state there is no significant downfalls in the use of food animal antibiotics, the bottom line is that agricultural illness incidents continue to occur and the number of antibiotic resistance diseases continues to rise at alarming rates. Tracking efforts of antibiotic administration must be improved, information about the harmful effects on humans from these livestock treatments should be made more transparent, and efforts to eliminate injudicious use of antibiotics of food animals to protect the future health of our world’s citizens need to be implemented. “Monitoring of antibiotic consumption in livestock is a necessary tool for a better understanding of the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. To improve control of resistant bacteria, this should be regular part of a national surveillance system” (Lothar et al. 35).
Total Word Count: 361
My Words: 269
DISCLAIMER: Parts of this website are fictional and were created for a class. Please email my instructor with questions: [email protected].
Health officials are uncovering the misuse of antibiotics on livestock and realizing the harmful, indirect contributions they’re making on human resistance and a disruption of normal, healthy gastrointestinal flora. European nations have implemented stricter rules about antibiotic use in livestock, but the United States continues to lag behind (Duckenfield 333). The Food and Drug Administration has released Guidance for Industry 213 to set a voluntary framework of requirement in order to regulate the use of antibiotics in food animals; however, further efforts are required.
Even though many opposing critics and health officials state there is no significant downfalls in the use of food animal antibiotics, the bottom line is that agricultural illness incidents continue to occur and the number of antibiotic resistance diseases continues to rise at alarming rates. Tracking efforts of antibiotic administration must be improved, information about the harmful effects on humans from these livestock treatments should be made more transparent, and efforts to eliminate injudicious use of antibiotics of food animals to protect the future health of our world’s citizens need to be implemented. “Monitoring of antibiotic consumption in livestock is a necessary tool for a better understanding of the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. To improve control of resistant bacteria, this should be regular part of a national surveillance system” (Lothar et al. 35).
Total Word Count: 361
My Words: 269
DISCLAIMER: Parts of this website are fictional and were created for a class. Please email my instructor with questions: [email protected].