Antibiotics In Cattle Feed

In this brief, the reader will see the pros and cons in antibiotic livestock. They will see commonly misunderstandings about antibiotics and facts. Throughout the paper the reader will see what long term and short term problems and benefits in livestock. In this research paper it will be covering antibiotics resistance and also how antibiotics it has changed the face of medicine.

The appearance and spreading of antibiotic-resistant pathogens have given rise to many studies involving the genetic

When non-resistant bacteria are exposed to an antibiotic, most of them die. But due to the increase of mutations some of the bacteria are becoming resistance to the antibiotic. The bacteria are all subject to natural selection. Natural selection is as simple as saying that the bacteria that have not developed a mutation or resistance that helps them to survive die. The ones that do, survive and pass on the mutation to the next generation. This means that we are constantly having to adapt our antibiotics because so much of the mutation is getting passed along. The flu vaccination is a good example of how mutations are carried over and how the vaccine had to be changed every year to fight the ever changing virus. Some strains

Presently, speculations have risen about the amount of antibiotics used in the livestock industry and the desire to consume antibiotic-free meats. What is not understood, however, is the USDA has been monitoring the amount of antimicrobial residue in meats for several years. If unsafe levels are detected the meat is not allowed to be sold for human consumption. Yet, fast food chains such as Subway and Chipotle are claiming to go completely antibiotic free within the next decade. The practicality of this becoming a reality is slim due to the need to control, treat, and prevent diseases. To truly understand the importance of the antibiotic usage in cattle it must first be understood what antibiotics are and the reasons they are used. Additionally, the use of vaccinations should be taken into account for the

Certain E. Coli strains are also known to show resistance to bacteria killing antibiotics. This resistance is due to the plasmids, or small round DNA molecules, in the bacteria that carry the resistant genes. R Plasmids (resistance plasmids) are widely studied and bestow resistance to factors that inhibit growth of the organism. R plasmids code for proteins that can

Antibiotics started being used for production purposes around the 1940s, farmers started to notice that when antibiotics were fed to their poultry, it promoted growth. This fast growth curve was especially liked by farmers because it increased the profits on their farms. From that point on, antibiotics were incorporated into livestock’s regular feed. In 1951, the FDA approved the first antibiotic that could be used for extra weight gain. It wasn’t until of 1969 that scientists started discovering antibiotic resistance due to the careless use by farmers. “When

The small, circular DNA molecules that exist apart from the chromosomes in most bacterial species are called plasmids. Plasmids are not needed for the survival of the host bacterial, but some plasmids can carry genes that makes bacteria ampicillin resistant like pUC18 or

When walking down the grocery store aisles, most shoppers do not pause to think about the issues that may arise from the antibiotics used in animals (the meat they will buy and consume). Antibiotics have been used in farm animals for decades, but now there has arisen a controversy regarding how these antibiotics effect people (consuming the livestock that has been treated with antibiotics) and the animals (that have been treated) themselves. Many researchers believe that the use of antibiotics on animals is causing antibiotics resistance in both the animals that are being treated, and the humans who eventually eat the meat produced. But the use of antibiotics has come a long way since it was first discovered. Progress is important but safety is a priority in food production.

A common argument supporting the continued use of antibiotics is that of supply and demand. In order to keep pace with the massive quantity of meat demanded by American consumers, the meat industry claims no other feasible option than to use antibiotics (Parente, 2012). However, this argument is flawed because the meat industry in the European Union, “where a similar amount of meat [to that of the U.S.] is consumed”, the use of sub-theraputic (and therefore dangerous) levels of antibiotics is outlawed (Borell 1997). Currently, “approximately 13.5 million pounds of antimicrobials prohibited in the European Union are used in agriculture for nontherapeutic purposes every year by U.S. livestock producers” (Union of Concerned Scientists 2001). Therefore, it is an easy counterargument to make against the U.S. cattle industry that if the European Union can produce enough consumable meat without the constant antibiotic use, then the United States could feasibly do the same. The sad reality is that the American pharmaceutical and agricultural industries are likely too greedy to change their dangerous ways for a marginal decrease in profit (Kaufman 2007). According to Consumer Reports, “studies of production facilities have estimated that pork can be produced without antibiotics for approximately 5 cents per pound more than pork grown using antibiotics, and chicken can be produced without using antibiotics for just a fraction of a cent per

Antibiotic resistance is and continues to be a global public health issue1.One of the main concerns stems from the ability for bacteria to obtain antibiotic resistance very easily as a result of chromosomal changes, or through plasmids and transposons which generate an exchange of genetic material2. Resistance can also result from single or multiple mutations1,3. To combat this rising force, scientists must research and analyse the many possibilities of mutations in a variety of genes and proteins in specific bacteria and ways to combat them.

For nearly thirty years, there have been quality assurance programs to help reassure farmers and ranchers are continuously improving the way they raise beef. This includes the way antibiotics are used to protect human health and animal health as well, otherwise known as antibiotic stewardship. “Antimicrobial stewardship is a coordinated program that promotes the appropriate use of antimicrobials (including antibiotics), improves patient outcomes, reduces microbial resistance, and decreases the spread of infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms” (Khabbaz ). There are some controversial

The use of antibiotics as growth promotants in the food production industry and their effect on of enhancing the evolution of bacterial species resistant to the currently available antibiotics.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the major threats to human medicine as it can cause treatments to fail and in worse case create untreatable infections. Studies have shown that other than overuse of antibiotics by humans , the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in animal production is also an important factor. When animals are given an antibiotic that has similarities to human antibiotics for a disease, cross resistance occurs. Cross resistance is when the disease causing bacteria becomes resistant to the drug that is also used in human medicine which can be extremely dangerous. This is why the use of antibiotics is called to be “Dangerous and unjustifiable” by medical experts as the threats that the use of antibiotics in animals can pose to human medicine are extremely

The abuse of antibiotics in animal husbandry is quickly gaining speed as a potent problem in the world, and because of the overuse, antibiotic resistance is a terrifying prospect that is overwhelming doctors as they try to combat resistant bacteria; the future of the world depends on the way the resistant bacteria is handled, and it needs to be evaluated from the lowest level it can be: the animals. An overwhelming number of the antibiotics are being given to food producing animals, even when they are not necessary. The FDA recognizes that the overuse of antibiotics could lead to resistance, but they continue to pass lax policies; the FDA is being surpassed by other organizations that are fighting to combat the growing problem, but mandatory laws are yet to be passed in the US. Because of this hesitancy to pass compulsory laws, due to competing government initiatives, this overuse of antibiotics is adding to the problem of antibiotics resistance by allowing the bacteria to develop resistance from overexposure. Animals are being abused because antibiotics are being misused, and animals have dose after dose forced on them, despite not needing them, because of the increased efficiency of growth in these meat producing animals. A major shift is needed in the culture of animal husbandry to put an end to this overuse of antibiotics; mandatory laws must be passed outlawing antibiotics that are medically suitable for humans from farms, requiring strict monitoring, and no longer

However, the usage of antibiotics in agriculture is a contributor to the continual growing issue of antibiotic resistance. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “[a] post-antibiotic era – in which common infections and minor injuries can kill… is instead a very real possibility for the 21st Century” (World Health Organization) because of antibiotic resistance.