Antibiotic Resistance in Humans

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Douglas

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I am in a little bit of an arguement with a friend about antibiotic use in agriculture. He has admitted that eating beef and poultry treated with antibiotics is safe. His concern is that widespread use of antibiotics in agriculture has been shown to correlate with antibiotic resistance in humans. Where is the beef industry on this concern?
 
There is a big difference between where the "beef industry" is and where I am.

My cattle are hormone and antibiotic free.
 
We can't afford to eat every single thing organic, nor does it seem necessary, but we eat our own beef, keep a big garden, and plan to get chickens eventually - for lots of reasons including food safety. I don't worry about eating one animal or one meal containing added hormones and/or antibiotics but I wonder about the cumulative effects of consuming minuscule amounts over long periods of time - not just talking about beef, but also poultry, pork, eggs, milk. Even if the effects are minor, very small changes can produce significant effects over time.

Don't know if MRSA is a big deal where you guys live, but I've heard of way too many cases first and second hand, most recently a friend's friend, a military mom and her child who both got it and now have large scars where they had to have chunks of flesh removed?! And do you all wonder why young girls are getting breasts and starting their periods so much earlier now? I think some of it can be attributed to obesity, but I have to also wonder if maybe tiny amounts of hormones in food are contributing over time? Whatever is causing it, man have we effed things up.
 
2/B or not 2/B":1mlmk02o said:
We can't afford to eat every single thing organic, nor does it seem necessary, but we eat our own beef, keep a big garden, and plan to get chickens eventually - for lots of reasons including food safety. I don't worry about eating one animal or one meal containing added hormones and/or antibiotics but I wonder about the cumulative effects of consuming minuscule amounts over long periods of time - not just talking about beef, but also poultry, pork, eggs, milk. Even if the effects are minor, very small changes can produce significant effects over time.

Don't know if MRSA is a big deal where you guys live, but I've heard of way too many cases first and second hand, most recently a friend's friend, a military mom and her child who both got it and now have large scars where they had to have chunks of flesh removed?! And do you all wonder why young girls are getting breasts and starting their periods so much earlier now? I think some of it can be attributed to obesity, but I have to also wonder if maybe tiny amounts of hormones in food are contributing over time? Whatever is causing it, man have we effed things up.

You know it is a myth that there are hormones used in poultry and the amounts in beef are insignificant compared to that produced naturally by humans and are less in beef than many other foods.
 
The main causes of antibiotic resistence in humans (my opinion) is the over persription of them for every piddly little thing that a human gets. Got a cold, doc will give you antibiotics, got gas, doc will give you antibiotics, hang nail..........................
I also think a lot of it may come from some municipal water supplys. Folks flsuh their persciption crap down the dumper, it gets into the water supply and back into the humans.
Just my opinions
 
dun":vfhfedto said:
I also think a lot of it may come from some municipal water supplys. Folks flsuh their persciption crap down the dumper, it gets into the water supply and back into the humans.
Just my opinions

You know what Dun I think this a much bigger problem than people realize. Just exactly how many people out there take in their unused/expired medication back to the pharmacy to be disposed of..
 
dun":1qxkepe9 said:
The main causes of antibiotic resistence in humans (my opinion) is the over persription of them for every piddly little thing that a human gets. Got a cold, doc will give you antibiotics, got gas, doc will give you antibiotics, hang nail..........................
I also think a lot of it may come from some municipal water supplys. Folks flsuh their persciption crap down the dumper, it gets into the water supply and back into the humans.
Just my opinions

Good post, it's never occurred to these brilliant people that resistance to antibiotics in humans is caused by.......use of antibiotics in humans .

Larry
 
this is why they have withdrawal times, proper dosages, and proper administration on antibiotic usage in animals....so that we are not eating it
 
dun":3g9j88m4 said:
The main causes of antibiotic resistence in humans (my opinion) is the over persription of them for every piddly little thing that a human gets. Got a cold, doc will give you antibiotics, got gas, doc will give you antibiotics, hang nail..........................
I also think a lot of it may come from some municipal water supplys. Folks flsuh their persciption crap down the dumper, it gets into the water supply and back into the humans.
Just my opinions

I have to agree with the over prescription of antibiotics helping to increase the resistance. I've had more than one Doc tell me this is how they feel too.

rockridgecattle":3g9j88m4 said:
this is why they have withdrawal times, proper dosages, and proper administration on antibiotic usage in animals....so that we are not eating it

Bingo! Providing producers follow these procedures of course.
 
dun":1zslcf97 said:
The main causes of antibiotic resistence in humans (my opinion) is the over persription of them for every piddly little thing that a human gets. Just my opinions

I agree with you on this point, but I think that an even bigger problem is the number of people who actually need an antibiotic, but only take it until they start feeling better instead of continuing for the full course of treatment.
 
Douglas":1ax9cepk said:
2/B or not 2/B":1ax9cepk said:
We can't afford to eat every single thing organic, nor does it seem necessary, but we eat our own beef, keep a big garden, and plan to get chickens eventually - for lots of reasons including food safety. I don't worry about eating one animal or one meal containing added hormones and/or antibiotics but I wonder about the cumulative effects of consuming minuscule amounts over long periods of time - not just talking about beef, but also poultry, pork, eggs, milk. Even if the effects are minor, very small changes can produce significant effects over time.

Don't know if MRSA is a big deal where you guys live, but I've heard of way too many cases first and second hand, most recently a friend's friend, a military mom and her child who both got it and now have large scars where they had to have chunks of flesh removed?! And do you all wonder why young girls are getting breasts and starting their periods so much earlier now? I think some of it can be attributed to obesity, but I have to also wonder if maybe tiny amounts of hormones in food are contributing over time? Whatever is causing it, man have we effed things up.

You know it is a myth that there are hormones used in poultry and the amounts in beef are insignificant compared to that produced naturally by humans and are less in beef than many other foods.
Very true, especially if you look at the amount of estrogen in cabbage compared to the amount in steak of a steer that has been given hormones.
 
In the new zeland article linked above, here is the important points:

It is not the antibiotic resistance that may pass from animals to people. It is the possibility that antibiotic resistance may pass from bacteria in animals to bacteria in people or that resistant animal bacteria may infect people.

In some cases the bacteria in animals are the same as, or very similar to those in people. Resistance and non-resistant bacteria can transfer from animals to people either through direct contact or through contaminated food. The reverse (transfer of bacteria from humans to animals) can happen too. Some of those bacteria can cause disease in animals or people – or both. Others may not cause any harm, but may still be resistant to some antibiotics.

Resistance to particular antibiotics develops in bacteria, resulting in diseases in animals. Some animal bacteria can be transferred to people and, at times, result in disease in them, too. In a few cases it's been shown that some bacteria genetic material that confers resistance to particular antibiotics can be transferred to another bacteria species and that this could happen between bacteria in animals to people and visa versa
 
I do not have any conclusive research that supports either side of the argument. I am sure if you look hard enough you can find something that will support your point of view. For me, however, I only raise all natural beef that are age and source verified. By doing this I can collect a bonus on my calves. Plus, I know exactly what I am eating.

Too many scripts are written by doctors for every snotty nose. That is why more and more bacteria becomes resistant to medication in humans. I do not think it has much to do with antibiodics to animals.

The bigger question is by giving too many antibiodics to animals....does that mean more bacteria becomes resistant to medication in animals?

Any thoughts on that subject?
 
And do you all wonder why young girls are getting breasts and starting their periods so much earlier now? I think some of it can be attributed to obesity, but I have to also wonder if maybe tiny amounts of hormones in food are contributing over time?
This is another big myth. Young girls are maturing earlier because they have a better nutritional diet. Just like cattle, the better you feed them, the better/quicker they grow.
 
I agree with several points. First of all, way way too many antibiotics get prescribed for viruses. People have a runny nose for 2 days and go to the doctor. They're not satisfied until they get an antibiotic. Then they take it for 2 days and start to feel better so they stop. This treats part of the bacteria and those that remain are more likely to develop resistance.

That being said, resistance can be transmitted from one bacteria to another and there is some risk of resistant animal infections becoming resistant human infections. I would be scared to see what percentage of animal treatments are actually completed as recommended. I mean, if you can't get humans to take an oral antibiotic as directed, what are the odds that they are going to run the cow through the chute to give her an injection? Pretty low would be my guess. I think that's why resistance has developed to the point that most on here would say Penicillin or LA-200 are essentially ineffective.
 

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