Two million Americans experience serious illness each year due to antibiotic-resistant organisms. More than 23,000 die.
These grim statistics come from the Centers for Disease Control. As more strains of bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, researchers face increasing difficulty in designing drugs which will be effective against serious infections.
Bacteria mutate or change their genetic makeup very efficiently. When exposed to any antibiotic for a long enough interval, bacteria sensitive to the drug are killed, while some hardy mutants survive and multiply. A resistant bacterium can transmit resistance to other bacteria of the same species or to other species via small packets of DNA called plasmids.
Dr. Clif CleavelandProlonged use of antibiotics in small concentrations provides an ideal environment for producing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Bacteria may develop resistance to multiple antibiotics.
These conditions exist commonly in livestock and poultry production, and overuse of antibiotics in the meat and poultry industries is considered a major cause of bacterial resistance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC. Eighty percent of antibiotics consumed in the U.S. are used in food animals, far more than other developed nations. But antibiotic use in livestock is increasing rapidly in India, China, Russia and Brazil.
Many animals are raised in so-called factory farms where animals are tightly packed in often unsanitary, confined spaces. Infections and injuries which may become infected pose a risk to herds and flocks. To prevent infection, small amounts of antibiotics are mixed with feed. Antibiotics also are used as a promoter of growth for livestock and poultry.
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a risk to farm workers, food processors and consumers through direct contact and ingestion. The bacteria contaminate water and soil. Manure from factory farms is used as plant fertilizer, transmitting resistant organisms to crops, a practice that accounts for colon bacteria from cattle showing up in produce.
Powerful lobbying groups have blocked most legislative attempts to regulate antibiotic use in livestock and poultry. In 2005, the FDA succeeded in limiting the use of fluoroquinolones, an important group of antibiotics (Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox), after resistant bacteria became widespread. No resistance to this class of drugs had been reported prior to their use in animals.
In 2012, the FDA recommended limits on the use in food animals of cephalosporins, a vital group of antibiotics against human infections. Despite the advisory, such use of these drugs has increased.
In 2013, the FDA called for a voluntary phase out over three years of indiscriminate use of antibiotics, for example as a growth promoter, in livestock and poultry. Manufacturers of antibiotics were asked to change labels to indicate appropriate uses. But these are regulations without teeth because the FDA has limited authority and resources for enforcement.
On March 27, the White House announced a $1.2 billion, five-year plan to combat drug-resistant organisms. Included in the plan are recommendations to reduce the use of certain antibiotics in livestock and poultry. Goals are vague. The proposal attracted immediate attacks from critics of big government and from consumer groups who said the proposal does not go far enough.
For the consumer, there are choices at the supermarket. Meat, poultry and dairy products are available in some chains that are certified antibiotic-free. My informal survey of stores in which antibiotic-free meats and dairy are available indicated 10 to 30 percent higher prices for these products.
The term "all-natural" found on some products is misleading, indicating that no preservatives or other chemicals have been added. But "all-natural" doesn't mean "antibiotic-free" and that should be clearly stated on the label, preferably with lab certification.
On the restaurant scene, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread Co. use only meat raised without antibiotics. McDonald's Corp. announced in March that it would shift to antibiotic-free chicken over the next two years.
The growing danger to public health of indiscriminate use of antibiotics in meat, poultry and dairy production is amply documented. Progressive curtailment of the practice is imperative. In the meantime, there are increasing options for consumers willing to pay extra for antibiotic-free food. The choice, alas, may not exist for people of limited means.
Contact Clif Cleavland at cleaveland1000@comcast.net.