4 Senators Tackle Overuse of Antibiotics on Farms With New Bill

[Panich52]

Four U.S. Senators are stepping up with legislation aimed at curbing the use of antibiotics used on farm animals in a seemingly never ending battle to get the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to do something about their overuse.

Antibiotics are routinely given to healthy animals http://www.care2.com/causes/turns-out-antibiotic-use-on-poultry-farms-is-far-worse-than-we-thought.html on farms in a nontherapeutic manner, or before they actually get sick, to compensate for filthy living conditions and to promote growth. The problem with this is that animals receiving low doses of antibiotics on a regular basis become reservoirs for bacterial growth that can result in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. http://www.care2.com/causes/superbug-meat-factory-farms-weaken-antibiotics.html

These antibiotic resistant strains can than spread to us and they’re posing a serious health risk. http://www.care2.com/causes/how-pumping-antibiotics-into-animals-could-cause-global-health-crisis.html

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), at least two million people get infected with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria every year and at least 23,000 people die as a result of those infections.

Not only are these cases taking a serious toll on our health and well being, but they’re taxing our healthcare system. The CDC also estimates that antibiotic resistance adds $20 billion in excess health care costs, while costs for lost productivity may be as high as $35 billion annually.

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http://www.care2.com/causes/4-senators-tackle-overuse-of-antibiotics-on-farms-with-new-bill.html

[pnwmom]

1. Hope it passes. This is long overdue. n/t