Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Antibiotic Resistance Declared A 'Serious Health Threat' By CDC As Use In Meat Industry Skyrockets

"Antimicrobial resistance is one of our most serious health threats."

So begins a comprehensive report released by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention this week, "Antibiotic Resistance Threats In The United States, 2013." The report highlights the growing pandemic of superbugs that have out-evolved even our best antibiotics.

Antibiotic use in the meat and poultry industry has skyrocketed over the past decade. Nearly 30 million pounds were sold for livestock use in the U.S. in 2011, almost four times the amount used by humans. That means 73 percent of all antibiotics sold in America go to meat production.

Widespread use of antibiotics can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant superbugs in the meat supply, which are already shockingly prevalent. These hardy bugs are then passed on to the consumer, and the CDC's conservative estimates say more than 2 million people get sick due to resistant bacteria every year, and more than 23,000 people die.

Take a look at this chart to see the supply chain of bacteria transmission:

cdc

So, what's to be done?

"Antibiotics must be used judiciously in humans and animals because both uses contribute to not only the emergence, but also the persistence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria," the report says. "Antibiotics should be used in food-producing animals only under veterinary oversight and only to manage and treat infectious diseases, not to promote growth."

The Food and Drug Administration's recommended guidelines strike a similar chord to the CDC, promoting a "judicious use" of antibiotics when the health of an animal is at risk. But livestock owners aren't subject to any oversight from the federal government and the guidelines are voluntary -- meat producers can use any antibiotics, in any combination, in any quantity without telling anyone.

Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.com
Author: Nick Visser

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