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NEWS: ALARMING INCREASE IN ANTIBIOTIC USE IN FOOD.

Consumption of meat, milk and eggs is growing fast in many developing and middle-income countries.

Developing countries are pumping livestock full of antibiotics at such a startling rate that they are dramatically increasing the risk of creating drug-resistant "super bugs", Princeton scientists warned.

China’s livestock industry alone could soon be consuming nearly one third of the world’s antibiotics.

The five countries with the largest projected increases in antibiotics consumption are Myanmar (205 percent), Nigeria (163 percent), Peru (160 percent) and Vietnam (157 percent).

Bacteria like E. coli and salmonella are already becoming resistant to antibiotics. Their target: humans.


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DEATH FROM ANTI MICROBIAL RESISTANT (AMR) BACTERIA

Here’s what that could look like in the future, when antibiotic-resistant bacteria will kill more people than cancer every year

Source: Healthcare Infection Society UK

In the US, as many as half of antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary.

American farmers continue to overuse antibiotics in pigs, cattle, and chickens, creating stronger, more resistant bacterial strains.

The problem is worsening quickly.


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NEWS FLASH: ANTIBIOTICS RESISTANCE ON THE RISE

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is resistance of a microorganism to an antimicrobial drug that was originally effective for treatment of infections caused by it.

Resistant microorganisms (including bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites) are able to withstand attack by antimicrobial drugs, such as antibacterial drugs (e.g., antibiotics), antifungals, antivirals, and antimalarials, so that standard treatments become ineffective and infections persist, increasing the risk of spread to others.

In its global survey of the resistance problem, WHO said it found very high rates of drug-resistant E. coli bacteria, which causes problems. WHO’s report also found worrying rates of resistance in other bacteria, including common causes of pneumonia and gonorrhea.

In 2012, there were about 450 000 new cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) has been identified in 92 countries. Resistance to earlier generation antimalarial drugs is widespread in most malaria-endemic countries.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

People can help tackle resistance by:

· using antibiotics only when they are prescribed by a certified health professional;

· completing the full treatment course, even if they feel better;

· never sharing antibiotics with others or using leftover prescriptions.

Source: WHO


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NEWS ALERT: Antibiotics-resistant salmonella in CHICKEN

The USDA issued a health alert Monday warning consumers to avoid raw chicken from the three facilities after they detected strains of Salmonella Heidelberg, a strain that has been linked to human illness.

CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said that people in 18 states had become ill after eating Foster Farms poultry and 42 percent of the sick people were hospitalized. (This is a very high rate)

Salmonella does not trigger an automatic recall like some forms of E. coli because it’s not deemed an adulterant. Unfortunately, the USDA considers salmonella a naturally occurring bacteria that can be mitigated with proper cooking and handling (which does not happen in many cases). The bacteria grows in animals’ intestinal tracts and is spread through feces. It can contaminate a chicken farm through water, feed, birds and rodents. When infected chicken waste dries, salmonella can spread through dust. For years the poultry industry has used antibiotics to promote faster growth in animals. But the trend has alarmed food-safety advocates, who worry that overuse is leading to human resistance to certain types of these drugs.

Some members of the population — toddlers, elderly, people with immune systems weakened by various medical treatments — are more vulnerable than others. Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis.

What causes salmonellosis?

You can get salmonellosis by eating food contaminated with salmonella. This can happen in the following ways:

· Food may be contaminated during food processing or handling.

· Food may become contaminated by the unwashed hands of an infected food handler especially after using the bathroom.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of salmonellosis include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. They develop 12 to 72 hours after infection, and the illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Diarrhea and dehydration may be so severe that it is requires hospitilization. The only way to confirm it is via a stool culture and blood tests.

What can you do?

Avoid meat if you can. Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs.

If not, the chicken in question can be identified in supermarkets with USDA marks of inspection P6137, P6137A or P7632.

Cook chicken to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the salmonella.

Frequently hand wash and the use of separate cutting boards for meat and poultry. Avoid cross-contamination of food. Keep uncooked meats separate from produce, cooked foods, and ready-to-eat foods. Thoroughly wash hands, cutting boards, counters, knives, and other utensils after handling uncooked foods.

Do not prepare food or pour water for others when you have salmonellosis.

To Learn more read: http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/general/index.html

Source: multiple including CDC, seattletimes, Webmd,