The Plant Rx

The major cause for the rise in antibiotic-resistant pathogens is clear: the overuse of antibiotics among animals on factory farms. Here’s how it works. Livestock producers place animals in overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions to maximize their output and profits. Then, to prevent the inevitable spread of disease from such conditions and to spur faster growth in the animals, they routinely add antibioticsto feed.In 2009, 80 percent of antibiotics administered in the United States were given to animals; of that, 70 percent was administered to healthy animals through routine feeding. Widespread use of antibiotics gives rise to resistant bacteria. Through contact with farm workers and contaminated waste runoff, resistant bacteria can spread to humans and other animals. For more information, you can read The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine’s new report on the subject. The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act is an important step toward protecting humans from antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Please tell your members of Congress to reform our agricultural policy and co-sponsor this important and urgent legislation today.

The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (H.R. 965/S. 1211) is a sensible, bipartisan piece of legislation aimed at protecting human health by limiting the misuse of antibiotic drugs. Injudicious use of antibiotics, which is standard on factory farms, breeds bacteria that are resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics. When these resistant bacteria spread to the human population, our precious, once lifesaving antibiotics are useless. Please tell your members of Congress to stop the overuse of antibiotics on factory farms today.

Related articles

• Farm-acology 101: Doctors Take Aim At Antibiotic Resistance From Factory Farms (huffingtonpost.com)
• What the USDA Doesn’t Want You to Know About Antibiotics and Factory Farms (tipggita32.wordpress.com)
• USDA Hides Damning Report Of Antibiotic Abuse on Factory Farms (treehugger.com)