Menu
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
New media
New media comments
New profile posts
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Members
Current visitors
New profile posts
Search profile posts
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles and first posts only
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Forums
Non-Cattle Specific Topics
Coffee Shop
Antibiotics and Livestock
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Help Support CattleToday:
Message
<blockquote data-quote="boondocks" data-source="post: 1182699" data-attributes="member: 20599"><p>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).</p><p></p><p>What do you think about that 80% figure? It does make you think...</p><p></p><p>Do you draw a distinction between antibiotics for an <em>ill </em>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.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="boondocks, post: 1182699, member: 20599"] 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 [i]ill [/i]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. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Non-Cattle Specific Topics
Coffee Shop
Antibiotics and Livestock
Top