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Antibiotic Resistance in Livestock: More at Stake than Steak Charles W. Schmidt Abstract
image credit: ImageVault The specter of antibiotic resistance is considered by many to be one of the most pressing scientific questions today. With each passing year, former wonder drugs like penicillin, erythromycin, and tetracycline are less effective against strains of treatment-resistant "superbugs." By decreasing the number of effective drugs in the medical arsenal, antibiotic resistance is making bacterial infections and related conditions more difficult to treat. Scientists also worry that the spread of resistance genes among even unrelated strains of bacteria could turn what are now treatable illnesses into killers. Advocates for stricter regulation of antibiotic use are calling on the U.S. federal government and the agricultural industry to limit the use of antibiotics, especially those used for human treatment, for animal growth promotion purposes.
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