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Bad for humans – Humans aren’t the only ones who need to get off antibiotics. But the total number of antibiotics used in farming is getting bigger every day, and 70% of them are used in animals (mostly cattle and chickens) that are healthy but are vulnerable because they live in crowded and unsanitary conditions.

Scientists have linked nontherapeutic use of antibiotics to antibiotic resistance in bacteria that infect humans for many years. 90,000 Americans die each year from superbug infections they get in the hospital.
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A big step for science: One small country has solved the problem of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, which are a major problem in hospitals. How? By NOT prescribing any antibiotics!

Most superbugs originate in hospitals, where many people are taking antibiotics, and often exiting patients take these bacteria with them when they go home, where they spread into the general population. And sometimes patients bring superbugs WITH THEM when they become hospital patients, for instance, community-acquired infections with drug-resistant strains of Staph bacteria now turn up regularly among children hospitalized in intensive-care units. 25 years ago, Norway had a major superbug problem, like the US and most of the Europe. Their major solution was to stop prescribing so many drugs.read more

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We’ve learned that pork farms that treat pigs with antibiotics can mysteriously spread killer superbugs throughout a nearby community. It turns out the same thing can happen with poultry farms, but in this case, they know the means of transmission?flies.
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At any one time, up to 30% of perfectly healthy people carry around the bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus, which lives in the human nose. In most cases, these bugs are harmless, but an antibiotic-resistant version is becoming more common, which is difficult to treat and can lead to pneumonia if it gets into the lungs. It can cause boils, abscesses, or serious infections of the skin. How can we protect ourselves?

Here’s how: First, there’s the old standby: wash your hands frequently, with soap and water for at least 15 seconds or with an alcohol-based rub. You also shouldn’t share personal items like razors or towels. Second–well,the headline tells the tale.

Art credit: freeimages.co.uk
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