Drug Resistance

In the July 16, 2010 E-News from Congressman Murphy, the following article got my attention.

Committee Examines Public Health Implications of Overuse of Antibiotics on Farms
For the complete article, click the title."Public health doctors and microbiologists testified Wednesday at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing that overuse of antibiotics in animal feed is contributing to the mutation of drug-resistant bacteria. The hearing was the third part of an ongoing look at the declining effectiveness of antibiotics." "Several witnesses testified about evidence linking routine, low-level antibiotic use in food for animals and the transfer of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to people, often through the food supply."

If you suggest this is more hocus pocus, I challenge you to read further, and not just here. In September 2007, I attended a most entertaining lecture in State College, PA offered by PASA. The topic was Parasite Control in Small Ruminants and presented by Dr. David Pugh. Entertaining you question? If a person could make parasitic worms and digestion entertaining and educational, Dr. Pugh did it.

When it comes to managing parasites in small ruminants, Dr. David Pugh literally wrote the book, Sheep and Goat Medicine (Saunders, 2001). During the lecture, Dr. Pugh reviewed existing de-wormers and present data on the kinds of problems/solutions we are seeing with each, nutrition for small ruminants with respect to managing parasites, disease prevention, general overview of herd health, and information on rotational grazing or pasture maintenance. One of the greatest concerns was the building resistance to de-wormers in goats and sheep. It was getting to the point where certain farms had run out of effective chemicals to control the intestinal worms in their animals. This problem relates to the article above and its affect on human health. When buying your food, it is important to know where your food comes from and how it is grown, whether animal or vegetable. Chemicals in and on your food are part of what you consume, so be a knowledgeable consumer.