Antibiotics

[inyati13]

IMO, this is over-stated but still a serious concern!
I suspect, we will see more pressure to take antibiotics out of the hands of livestock producers. When that happens or if it happens, I will sell all my livestock and move-on! If I cannot provide the care an animal needs without calling a Vet for every infection, I am done.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/we-may ... cid=EIE9HP

 

[Tracker275]

Yeah, I agree. I think that the article is a tad over the top and I don't think they will take antibiotics out of the hands of the producers. First off, the pharmaceutical companies won't let that happen. I wouldn't doubt someone has figured a cure for cancer already, but if you cured that a ton of people would be out of work. There is a balance that has to be done. Although, I think the whole Ebola thing and vaccinations for that was definitely botched due to poor foresight by the CDC.

One thing to take into consideration is they used India as their example to base everything on. I've spent time in several places in the Middle East and South Asia isn't much different. The conditions in many places over there are deplorable. The CIA World Factbook estimates the population in India to be 1,236,344,631 in 2014. That puts those approximate 800,000 newborn deaths in India to be about 6.5% of their population dying annually at birth. On March 22, 2013, the Huffington Post last year published an article by Kay Johnson titled, "India Slums: 1 In 6 India City Dwellers Live In Conditions 'Unfit For Human Habitation'" and their estimated urban population in 2011 was about 31.3%. So, considering the living conditions, it is no wonder they have so many deaths due to bacterial reasons.

Whenever you compare the United States to India in a case like this, you are comparing apples with coconuts. Also, consider the cultural aspect of the population. Although it is a very advanced country, those folks living in those slums aren't exactly going to be those that know when to be treated before it is too late or if they even have the facilities available to be seen.

Lastly, the CDC is always the bearer of bad news. That is their job. If they said everything was just dandy, they would also lose some of their funding. If you make everything sound worse than it is, then you get more funding. I'm not saying that bacteria aren't becoming more resistant to antibiotics, but instead saying it isn't as bad as what the article portrays.

Oh, I would suggest that in treating cattle not to do like I have seen some producers do. That is, just giving it whatever they have that is an antibiotic and hoping it will treat whatever the problem is. My brother is dealing with that where he is. Antibiotics used for cattle are often developed for certain problem sets. You don't give Micotil or Baytril to an animal suffering from foot rot. I've seen it done. Education on what is given for the reason it is given is often the first line of defense. Also, invest in a thermometer. Does any mom out there just give medicine to their kid without putting their hand to their forehead or taking their temperature? In India, they probably don't.

CIA World Factbook: India
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html

Health Education to Villages: India Basic Living Conditions
http://hetv.org/india/nfhs/nfhs3/NFHS-3-Basic-Living-Conditions.pdf

The Huffington Post: India Slums: 1 In 6 Indian City Dwellers Live In Conditions 'Unfit For Human Habitation'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/india-slums_n_2931634.html

 

[Putangitangi]

Here we have much tighter controls on antibiotic use than you do there. I'm often horrified by the sort of casual or uninformed use I sometimes see indicated on the boards. But to have it under vet control, you need vets and I also understand that for a lot of you, they're not exactly close. I can usually get a vet to come to my cattle within an hour at the most in an emergency, or describe symptoms in the herd the vet regularly sees and have drugs provided for my administration.

People here are generally just as uninformed when it comes to human illness: I'm sick, therefore a pill will fix me; but it won't, not if it's a virus, which most common colds and 'flu are. They still want them, take them for as long as they remember, contribute to the problem ...
My partner's a Staph. carrier and I'm glad his type is still susceptible to antibiotics when he's injured and it kicks off. Chopping off his toe this year could have been far more serious in the long term, had effective antibiotics not been available. A family member had a hip replacement a couple of weeks ago; that sort of surgery will become life-threatening or unavailable within years, it would seem.

 

[inyati13]

Ruth, we all carry Staphylococcus aureus. First day in microbiology lab, you swab your skin and look at the bacteria under an oil emersion microscope. Everyone shows up with S. aureus. Are you saying your partner is carrying a strain that is out of the ordinary?

 

[Putangitangi]

Ron, I'm not entirely sure. My understanding from reading and from my doctor is that some people are carriers of it and most of us aren't. Dr Interweb says the same thing. I know we all have all sorts of stuff on our skin all the time, but there's something about those with particular populations up their noses which can be problematic. Surely all my sources can't be entirely wrong? There have only been a couple of times in my life when I've completely misunderstood something! Imagine if there were another. This could entirely shatter my sense of self, so take care!!!

 

[inyati13]

Ron, I'm not entirely sure. My understanding from reading and from my doctor is that some people are carriers of it and most of us aren't. Dr Interweb says the same thing. I know we all have all sorts of stuff on our skin all the time, but there's something about those with particular populations up their noses which can be problematic. Surely all my sources can't be entirely wrong? There have only been a couple of times in my life when I've completely misunderstood something! Imagine if there were another. This could entirely shatter my sense of self, so take care!!!

Ruth, :clap:

Hey, are you maybe meaning Strep? I bet not and I bet you are right. But Staph is almost everywhere.

Here is a little bit of info:
Staph infections can be contagious, but not in the kind of way that you are thinking of. Staph is a type of bacteria that lives in many different places including our own skin. When we get a cut or some break in our skin, staph is often the bacteria that causes an infection to that area of skin.

PS: If your partner is disposable, you could replace him with one who is bacteria and odor free.

 

[AllForage]

For both my surgeries I had Q tips shoved halfway up to my brain (felt like it) in my nostrils. Swabbing for antibiotic resistant staph.

Not sure what would have happened if I tested positive.

 

[Putangitangi]

Ron, I'm not entirely sure. My understanding from reading and from my doctor is that some people are carriers of it and most of us aren't. Dr Interweb says the same thing. I know we all have all sorts of stuff on our skin all the time, but there's something about those with particular populations up their noses which can be problematic. Surely all my sources can't be entirely wrong? There have only been a couple of times in my life when I've completely misunderstood something! Imagine if there were another. This could entirely shatter my sense of self, so take care!!!

Ruth, :clap:

Hey, are you maybe meaning Strep? I bet not and I bet you are right. But Staph is almost everywhere.

Here is a little bit of info:
Staph infections can be contagious, but not in the kind of way that you are thinking of. Staph is a type of bacteria that lives in many different places including our own skin. When we get a cut or some break in our skin, staph is often the bacteria that causes an infection to that area of skin.

PS: If your partner is disposable, you could replace him with one who is bacteria and odor free.

Staph. aureus, sensitive to some forms of penicillin, etc., fortunately. I became particularly suspicious when he gave the cow mastitis, which also cultured as the same bug. Now he wears milking gloves as well as using antiseptic in the wash water.

No, partner definitely not disposable after years of training and improvement. Cooks, fences, builds stuff, milks, makes cheese ...

 

[djinwa]

IMO, this is over-stated but still a serious concern!
I suspect, we will see more pressure to take antibiotics out of the hands of livestock producers. When that happens or if it happens, I will sell all my livestock and move-on! If I cannot provide the care an animal needs without calling a Vet for every infection, I am done.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/we-may ... cid=EIE9HP

What infections are you having in your herd, and how often do you see them?

 

[inyati13]

IMO, this is over-stated but still a serious concern!
I suspect, we will see more pressure to take antibiotics out of the hands of livestock producers. When that happens or if it happens, I will sell all my livestock and move-on! If I cannot provide the care an animal needs without calling a Vet for every infection, I am done.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/we-may ... cid=EIE9HP

What infections are you having in your herd, and how often do you see them?

This year it was infections of the eye and foot. The eye infections are cases of pinkeye. I also had a couple cases where they get bacteria between their toes. It is amazing how those toe infections work. I had a young bull that I thought was developing a muscular disability. I was noticing he was walking like his legs would not move forward. I put him in the chute and before I could get his foot up to look, I could smell the odor of "footrot". He had very tender skin right in the cervice of each foot. One dose of LA 300 and two days later he was running and kicking up his heels.

Don't have a lot of infections but I would not like to be calling a vet when I can put a cow in the chute, give her an antibiotic and be done.

 

[Luca Brasi]

Antibiotic resistance is a very real problem. It's ironic that many of those who cry the loudest about possible regulation and availability only by licensed veterinarians, are often those who are causing the problem in the first place through casual and uninformed use. This is rampant among poultry keepers too, especially with the ignorance and emotion driven mentality which signifies the recent backyard chicken movement. Many of them are using medications improperly, including such things as spot-on dog and cat flea treatments, some of which can potentially find their way into the food chain. Another irony that I see is that often these same people are those who wail about the use of antibiotics and hormones used in "factory farms", but they're all too willing to feed eggs and meat to their family from their own animals which are treated with drugs and other substances contrary to the label recommendations.