boondocks
Well-known member
Was just reading a microbiology textbook (fun Friday night here, y'all) and in the chapter on drug-resistant microbes, it was noted that "nearly 80% of all antibiotics in the United States are given to livestock...Enteric bacteria...that live in the normal intestinal biota of these animals readily share resistance plasmids [bits of genetic material that render the microbe immune to an antibiotic] and are constantly selected and amplified by exposure to drugs." There's more, but it get pretty arcane. I know there are strong opinions on this board, pro and con, on the topic of antibiotic use, particularly in feed, and I'm not looking to stir things up. (well, much! ;-) Milkmaid's interesting post about feedlots certainly gave the other perspective. Conversely I think Lucky P has cautioned once or twice about overuse of antibiotics (eg, using them to "cure" everything, even non-bacterial causes, or using a broad-spectrum drug where a narrower one would do, etc).
What do you think about that 80% figure? It does make you think...
Do you draw a distinction between antibiotics for an ill animal versus routine use in feed to promote growth and "just in case" of illness? Do you regularly feed w/ medicated feed, to animals that are not currently known to have a bacterial illness? Just curious...that stat has got me thinking.
What do you think about that 80% figure? It does make you think...
Do you draw a distinction between antibiotics for an ill animal versus routine use in feed to promote growth and "just in case" of illness? Do you regularly feed w/ medicated feed, to animals that are not currently known to have a bacterial illness? Just curious...that stat has got me thinking.