M6.6 Blog: Use of Antibiotics
ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE 101: HOW ANTIBIOTIC MISUSE ON FACTORY FARMS CAN MAKE YOU SICK
Thoughts: The livestock and agricultural industry are more concerned about squeezing every dime out of the consumer's pocket then they are with keeping those consumers alive. This is a major problem. I kept thinking while reading this article, how is it that industry has gotten their hands on a substance that only health care professionals should have? At least we know that the goal of health care professionals is to save lives, not think only of their profits. There is a growing body of evidence, that Antibiotic resistance can come from animal-to-human transfers. This resistance means that people stay sicker longer and have to take multiple rounds of stronger antibiotics, which is not what they were originally developed for.
NEARBY LIVESTOCK MAY RAISE 'SUPERBUG' RISK
Thoughts: I lived in Bakersfield all my life (until I moved to the Bay Area 5 years ago). Bakersfield is full of cattle and livestock. Everyone that you knew had some sort of connection to the livestock and/or agriculture business. People would have cattle in their back yards and most worked at the dairies around town. There was even a group called the "Milk Mulisha". This article raised concern around livestock-associated MRSA. It got me thinking, how many people in Bakersfield could have been exposed to this and could potentially develop it later on. It made me eager to hear more from the researchers.
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THAT ANTIMICROBIAL WIPES AND SOAPS MAY BE MAKING YOU (AND SOCIETY) SICK
Thoughts: This article was very well written, and it explained the back and forth that we go through when hearing news of products that are meant to keep us safe actually making us more sick. I feel just as disgusted as the man in the beginning of the article if I touched a sticky shopping cart. We are told of all of the dangerous things that we are exposed to and that could make us sick, so our first inclination is to KILL all bacteria. However, we are also killing helpful bacteria that could help us fight off these everyday germs. More research is needed because it seems like there is constant conflicting information brought on by researchers, health professionals, and industries-leading to mass confusion as to what is actually needed to be done.
A REPORT ABOUT THE NEW PRACTICE OF INCORPORATING ANTIMICROBIALS INTO THE MANUFACTURE OF HOSPITAL FURNISHINGS
Thoughts: This article was very informative. I think that hospitals are one place that you do not want any sort of microbial, especially one that is resistant to antibiotics. This article laid out the different types of disinfectants that should be used on different surfaces. It is important to understand that Antimicrobial hospital furnishings dont necessarily do the job people think they do. In the article, the authors explain that Few antimicrobial fabrics, for example, kill appreciable percentages of microorganisms quickly (i.e., in less than 10 minutes.), so there is still time for infections to occur. Just because something is marketed as antimicrobial, doesn't mean that it will make the environment safer.
Thoughts: The livestock and agricultural industry are more concerned about squeezing every dime out of the consumer's pocket then they are with keeping those consumers alive. This is a major problem. I kept thinking while reading this article, how is it that industry has gotten their hands on a substance that only health care professionals should have? At least we know that the goal of health care professionals is to save lives, not think only of their profits. There is a growing body of evidence, that Antibiotic resistance can come from animal-to-human transfers. This resistance means that people stay sicker longer and have to take multiple rounds of stronger antibiotics, which is not what they were originally developed for.
NEARBY LIVESTOCK MAY RAISE 'SUPERBUG' RISK
Thoughts: I lived in Bakersfield all my life (until I moved to the Bay Area 5 years ago). Bakersfield is full of cattle and livestock. Everyone that you knew had some sort of connection to the livestock and/or agriculture business. People would have cattle in their back yards and most worked at the dairies around town. There was even a group called the "Milk Mulisha". This article raised concern around livestock-associated MRSA. It got me thinking, how many people in Bakersfield could have been exposed to this and could potentially develop it later on. It made me eager to hear more from the researchers.
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THAT ANTIMICROBIAL WIPES AND SOAPS MAY BE MAKING YOU (AND SOCIETY) SICK
Thoughts: This article was very well written, and it explained the back and forth that we go through when hearing news of products that are meant to keep us safe actually making us more sick. I feel just as disgusted as the man in the beginning of the article if I touched a sticky shopping cart. We are told of all of the dangerous things that we are exposed to and that could make us sick, so our first inclination is to KILL all bacteria. However, we are also killing helpful bacteria that could help us fight off these everyday germs. More research is needed because it seems like there is constant conflicting information brought on by researchers, health professionals, and industries-leading to mass confusion as to what is actually needed to be done.
A REPORT ABOUT THE NEW PRACTICE OF INCORPORATING ANTIMICROBIALS INTO THE MANUFACTURE OF HOSPITAL FURNISHINGS
Thoughts: This article was very informative. I think that hospitals are one place that you do not want any sort of microbial, especially one that is resistant to antibiotics. This article laid out the different types of disinfectants that should be used on different surfaces. It is important to understand that Antimicrobial hospital furnishings dont necessarily do the job people think they do. In the article, the authors explain that Few antimicrobial fabrics, for example, kill appreciable percentages of microorganisms quickly (i.e., in less than 10 minutes.), so there is still time for infections to occur. Just because something is marketed as antimicrobial, doesn't mean that it will make the environment safer.
Hi Kera,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts on the articles we read regarding use of antibiotics. I had the same question about antibiotic use in livestock. It is shocking that they use the majority of antibiotics. I also agree that there needs to be more research on the use of antimicrobial wipes and soaps. I was also shocked by the use of antimicrobial furnishings in hospitals before they did much research about the possible negative health impacts and evidence of growth of antibiotic resistant pathogens.
Hey Kera,
ReplyDeleteNice, concise summaries on the articles - it definitely helps when one needs a quick read about the problems we are facing in many levels. You make a valid point that by putting antibiotics/antimicrobials in products doesn't guarantee that the bacteria will die. I think if people knew we were making bacteria stronger and indirectly medicating ourselves through the meat we eat, there could be changes in how livestock is raised and/or products are made.