Sianne Hazel
Antibiotics are widely used substances, natural and synthetic, that treat bacterial infections either by inhibiting bacterial growth or killing existing bacteria. Most people are familiar with antibiotics doctors prescribe for common ailments like strep throat. However, there are much wider uses for antibiotics that have been developed to match demand from society. One increasingly common use for antibiotics is in livestock and poultry farming to keep the food-producing animals healthy while also boosting efficiency and growth of the animals. Farmers will regularly include anywhere from 2-50 grams/ton of antibiotics into the animal’s feed, but the dosage can increase up to 50-200 grams/ton if a disease is spreading and they must target a specific bacteria, or if the animal is under stress. Once the conditions subside, the dosage administered is returned to normal (University of Delaware).
Though antibiotics are important for keeping animals and humans in good health, their use in farming likely does more harm than good especially when it comes to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. When antibiotics are regularly administered over a period of time, the natural bacteria in the animal’s microbiome evolve survival mechanisms to evade the effects of antibiotics, allowing resistant bacteria to persist and proliferate in the animal. These resistant bacterial strains spread to neighboring animals being grown in the same facility, flourishing in the animals’ gut-intestinal tract and muscles. However, the major concern is when antibiotic resistant bacteria cross over into the human population. This occurs mainly through slaughterhouse workers exposed to the gut-intestinal bacteria of the animals, workers who clean the animal pens and are exposed to bacteria in the animal feces, or humans who consume the animal products in which resistant bacteria is present in the meat. Examples of antibiotic resistant bacteria resulting from food-production chains include beta-lactamase producing Salmonella and E. coli, quinolone-resistant Salmonella and E. coli, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus better known as MRSA (Wegener 2012). The transmission of these antibiotic resistant bacteria into humans is detrimental because if individuals get a bacterial infection that requires antibiotic treatment, normal antibiotics prescribed by a doctor might not be able to stop the infection, which then could become lethal. If this trend continues, the diversity of antibiotic resistant strains in humans can overcome even the most sophisticated antibiotic second-line treatments, leaving humans with no other means to fight major bacterial infections.
The ethics of using antibiotics in poultry and livestock farming not only involves the well-being of the animals, but also the implications of these farming techniques on the human population. The personal benefits of the farmers, meat packers, and various vendors can drive these individuals to use whatever means necessary to increase production and in turn, financial gain. But at what cost? Helping increase food production in the short term could cause a major public health crisis in the long term, so this must be addressed as soon as possible. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires there to be a determined “tolerance” level for each drug intended for use in animal farming to indicate the amount of antibiotic residues that can be in or on the edible tissues without being volatile if consumed. It is illegal for producers or vendors to distribute animal products that have residues above the tolerance level (FDA 2018). These FDA guidelines are a good start to monitoring antibiotic use in farming, but more must be done to start actively reducing the amount of antibiotics used in food-producing animal farming. This starts with eliminating the antibiotics used solely as growth-enhancing factors for animals because this is a misuse of antibiotics, which are meant to treat bacterial infections. To further reduce antibiotic usage, co-drugs, less active or inactive substances that improve therapeutic efficiency of the parent drug, can be administered with antibiotics to animals with active bacterial infections as a way to make the antibiotic more effective while reducing dosage (Aljuffali 2016). According to the FDA Annual Report of Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed in 2019 in Food-Producing Animals, the amount of medically important antibiotics distributed had decreased by 25% since 2010, and further decreased by 36% since 2015. This shows a promising and steady reduction of antibiotic use, but a slight 3% increase from 2018 to 2019 shows an inconsistency in the trend (FDA 2020). It is tremendously important to continue educating corporations and parties involved in the process of farming food-producing animals so they understand the consequences of their choices not only on the animals, but also on humans. It is equally important to educate the general public on this issue and mainly how they can protect themselves from bacteria when handling live animals, or animal meat. Combating the proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria will take time, but should be a constant and active process. If these resistant bacterial strains are allowed to grow and spread uncontained, a single bacterium could effectively wipe out a large portion of the human population.
References
Effects of Antibiotics on Animal Feed—Presentation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www1.udel.edu/chem/C465/senior/fall97/feed/present.html
A Global Resonance to Take “Antibiotics Off The Menu” | Consumer Council. (n.d.). A Global Resonance to Take “Antibiotics Off The Menu” | Consumer Council. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.consumer.org.hk/ws_en/news/press/473/antibiotics.html
Medicine, C. for V. (2020). FDA Releases Annual Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed in 2019 for Use in Food-Producing Animals. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-releases-annual-summary-report-antimicrobials-sold-or-distributed-2019-use-food-producing
Medicine, C. for V. (2019). Adequate Drug Treatment Records Help Ensure Food Safety. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/adequate-drug-treatment-records-help-ensure-food-safety
Medicine, C. for V. (2019). Adequate Drug Treatment Records Help Ensure Food Safety. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/adequate-drug-treatment-records-help-ensure-food-safety
Wegener, H. C. (2012). ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE—LINKING HUMAN AND ANIMAL HEALTH. In Improving Food Safety Through a One Health Approach: Workshop Summary. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114485/
Though antibiotics are important for keeping animals and humans in good health, their use in farming likely does more harm than good especially when it comes to the rise of antibiotic resistant bacteria. When antibiotics are regularly administered over a period of time, the natural bacteria in the animal’s microbiome evolve survival mechanisms to evade the effects of antibiotics, allowing resistant bacteria to persist and proliferate in the animal. These resistant bacterial strains spread to neighboring animals being grown in the same facility, flourishing in the animals’ gut-intestinal tract and muscles. However, the major concern is when antibiotic resistant bacteria cross over into the human population. This occurs mainly through slaughterhouse workers exposed to the gut-intestinal bacteria of the animals, workers who clean the animal pens and are exposed to bacteria in the animal feces, or humans who consume the animal products in which resistant bacteria is present in the meat. Examples of antibiotic resistant bacteria resulting from food-production chains include beta-lactamase producing Salmonella and E. coli, quinolone-resistant Salmonella and E. coli, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus better known as MRSA (Wegener 2012). The transmission of these antibiotic resistant bacteria into humans is detrimental because if individuals get a bacterial infection that requires antibiotic treatment, normal antibiotics prescribed by a doctor might not be able to stop the infection, which then could become lethal. If this trend continues, the diversity of antibiotic resistant strains in humans can overcome even the most sophisticated antibiotic second-line treatments, leaving humans with no other means to fight major bacterial infections.
The ethics of using antibiotics in poultry and livestock farming not only involves the well-being of the animals, but also the implications of these farming techniques on the human population. The personal benefits of the farmers, meat packers, and various vendors can drive these individuals to use whatever means necessary to increase production and in turn, financial gain. But at what cost? Helping increase food production in the short term could cause a major public health crisis in the long term, so this must be addressed as soon as possible. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires there to be a determined “tolerance” level for each drug intended for use in animal farming to indicate the amount of antibiotic residues that can be in or on the edible tissues without being volatile if consumed. It is illegal for producers or vendors to distribute animal products that have residues above the tolerance level (FDA 2018). These FDA guidelines are a good start to monitoring antibiotic use in farming, but more must be done to start actively reducing the amount of antibiotics used in food-producing animal farming. This starts with eliminating the antibiotics used solely as growth-enhancing factors for animals because this is a misuse of antibiotics, which are meant to treat bacterial infections. To further reduce antibiotic usage, co-drugs, less active or inactive substances that improve therapeutic efficiency of the parent drug, can be administered with antibiotics to animals with active bacterial infections as a way to make the antibiotic more effective while reducing dosage (Aljuffali 2016). According to the FDA Annual Report of Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed in 2019 in Food-Producing Animals, the amount of medically important antibiotics distributed had decreased by 25% since 2010, and further decreased by 36% since 2015. This shows a promising and steady reduction of antibiotic use, but a slight 3% increase from 2018 to 2019 shows an inconsistency in the trend (FDA 2020). It is tremendously important to continue educating corporations and parties involved in the process of farming food-producing animals so they understand the consequences of their choices not only on the animals, but also on humans. It is equally important to educate the general public on this issue and mainly how they can protect themselves from bacteria when handling live animals, or animal meat. Combating the proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria will take time, but should be a constant and active process. If these resistant bacterial strains are allowed to grow and spread uncontained, a single bacterium could effectively wipe out a large portion of the human population.
References
Effects of Antibiotics on Animal Feed—Presentation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www1.udel.edu/chem/C465/senior/fall97/feed/present.html
A Global Resonance to Take “Antibiotics Off The Menu” | Consumer Council. (n.d.). A Global Resonance to Take “Antibiotics Off The Menu” | Consumer Council. Retrieved February 18, 2021, from https://www.consumer.org.hk/ws_en/news/press/473/antibiotics.html
Medicine, C. for V. (2020). FDA Releases Annual Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed in 2019 for Use in Food-Producing Animals. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-releases-annual-summary-report-antimicrobials-sold-or-distributed-2019-use-food-producing
Medicine, C. for V. (2019). Adequate Drug Treatment Records Help Ensure Food Safety. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/adequate-drug-treatment-records-help-ensure-food-safety
Medicine, C. for V. (2019). Adequate Drug Treatment Records Help Ensure Food Safety. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/adequate-drug-treatment-records-help-ensure-food-safety
Wegener, H. C. (2012). ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE—LINKING HUMAN AND ANIMAL HEALTH. In Improving Food Safety Through a One Health Approach: Workshop Summary. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114485/
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