The Use of Antibiotics in the USA - Essay Example

Introduction There are more health concerns in modern times compared to the past. The population is becoming more concerned on what it consumes and how such products are produced. This situation can largely be attributed to the increasing rates of preventable diseases and non-communicable diseases that are caused by the type of products consumed (Sanger-Katz). The number of people suffering from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases and hypertension among others is rising at a worrying rate. This has prompted the health professionals and the population as well to be concerned with food products consumed and how such products are produced. Antibiotics use in United States meats is prevalent and this has raised serious health concerns (WGBH Educational Foundation para 1). There is a prevalent about the way the country’s meat is raised today, particularly in regard to the frequent use of antibiotics to keep livestock disease-free in feedlots. Also, antibiotics use in United States meats is used to help livestock grow faster. In order to understand this issue, this paper will investigate the issue and provide analysis of the situation. A federal study by the Federal and Drug Administration in February, 2013 found out that over half of samples of pork chops, ground beef, and ground turkey tested positive for anti-biotic-resistant bacteria strains and therefore adding to the fears that heavy use of antibiotics in livestock is leading to superbugs. The FDA tested 480 samples of these products all collected from United States supermarkets in 2011. These findings confirmed the recent discoveries about antibiotic use in livestock (Valentine para 3). The meat industry in the United States consumes about 80 percent of antibiotics used in the country. This amount is over four times of the amount of antibiotics used by sick Americans. The meat industry uses antibiotics to keep their livestock free of disease and to promote faster growth. In the light of the evidence discovered in March 2013 that superbugs can originate in animals and spread to human beings, the prevalence of antibiotic use in meats has been particularly disconcerting (Valentine para 4). Even though the FDA has attempted to curb the use of antibiotics in the meat industry, there is substantial evidence that these substances are still used in the meat industry. The use of antibiotics in livestock is getting out of hands as more and more antibiotics is used in poultry and meat production. It is estimated that about 30 million pounds of antibiotics were sold for poultry and meat production in 2011, compared to about 8 million pounds sold for human use. The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) reported in the Retail Meat Annual Report that antibiotic-resistance bacteria were found in some 39% of chicken, 55% of ground beef, and 69% of pork chops (Christensen para 2). It has also been found out that antibiotics are fed to sick animals and this is completely appropriate. However, antibiotics are put in their feed and water in order to help them compensate for unhygienic conditions and to grow faster (Christensen para 7). This situation is of great health concern because the non-judicious use for feed efficiency and growth promotion poses great public health risks. Antibiotics use in livestock is critically important for treatment, control, and prevention of diseases in livestock and not for other purposes. As such, medically important microbial drugs should only be restricted to situations necessary for ensuring animal health and should only be used under supervision of veterinary professionals. It is clear that available and credible data that antibiotic use in the meat industry is on the increase and has hugely overtaken the usage by humans for medical purposes. While it is important to keep livestock healthy, it is more important to ensure humans are healthy. However, it is of grave concern that the meat industry is churning out meat products that are increasingly filled with the antibiotic-resistant pathogens (WGBH Educational Foundation para 1). The effects of this situation are that the current methods of prevention and treatment of humans using antibiotics are increasingly becoming difficult to overcome. There is increasing amount of evidence that suggests that the non-judicious antibiotics use in livestock poses health risks to humans. The evidence shows that if a group of animals is administered with certain antibiotic over a given period of time, the bacteria that live in those livestock will become drug resistant to that antibiotic. If an individual ingests the resistant bacteria through improperly cooked poultry or meat, he may not respond effectively to antibiotic treatment (WGBH Educational Foundation para 4). It is this concern that has led to the banning of non-judicious use of antibiotics in meat livestock in Canada and many European Union countries. However, such use is still legal in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also raised the concern about antibiotic resistance and suggested the need to curb the use of antibiotics in livestock that humans consume. It has declared its intention to reduce excessive use, as well as the misuse of antimicrobials in livestock food in order to protect human health. In particular, WHO has recommended that all antibiotics prescriptions should only be used in treating sick animals and has urged the termination of antibiotics use for growth promotion (WGBH Educational Foundation para 5). The antibiotics’ declining effectiveness has increasingly become a national public-health crisis and therefore leading scientists and doctors to urge for more careful and judicious use of antibiotics so as to ensure that disease-causing organisms do not become immune to them. While many of the grocery stores in the United States currently offer at least some poultry or meat that are produced without antibiotics, the challenge is still immense as a significant number of consumers purchase meats produced with antibiotics, either knowingly or without their knowledge (Consumer Reports para 1). Considering the huge health risks posed by use of antibiotics in livestock, there have been calls by various regulators and health activists for reduction and even complete phase out non-judicious antibiotics use in livestock. Specifically, the FDA has asked the meat producers to reduce their use of antibiotics in livestock raised for human food. In making this request, the FDA has cited that the overuse will significantly diminish the effectiveness of the antibiotics for humans (Sanger-Katz para 1). Following raised concerns by public health officials and consumer advocates; the FDA has outlined guidelines that state that certain antibiotics that are routinely used in promoting growth should only be reserved in treating sick animals or those animals that are at immediate risk of disease. The guidelines further state that meat producers should always consult veterinarians prior to administering antibiotics or any drugs to their animals. These guidelines are aimed at ensuring that meat producers and veterinarians care for animals while at the same time ensure that the medicines needed by humans are effective and safe (Sanger-Katz para 5). Conclusion The above discussion has clearly detailed the prevailing situation regarding the use of antibiotics in United States Meats. It can be seen that there are great concerns regarding the way meats in the United States are raised in modern times, particularly with the frequent use of antibiotics in keeping livestock disease-free in feedlots and helping them grow faster. As has been noted, the concerns are informed by the increasing evidence indicating that there is rise in the antibiotics use in the meat industry and has hugely overtaken antibiotics use to treat sick people. The effect is that this situation makes treatment and prevention of diseases using antibiotics less effective and thus posing serious public health concerns. It is because of this reason that government agencies such as FDA and consumer activists are urging the need to reduce the use antibiotics in livestock in order to protect human health. Works Cited Christensen, Jen. What Government Tests found in your Meat. April 16, 2013. Web. 17 Jul, 2013 Consumer Reports. Antibiotics are widely used by U.S. meat industry. 2013. Web. 17 Jul, 2013 < http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/06/antibiotics-are-widely-used-by-u-s-meat-industry/index.htm> Sanger-Katz, Margot. FDA Asks Meat Producers, Nicely, to Reduce Antibiotic Use. 2012. Web. 17 Jul, 2013 < http://www.nationaljournal.com/healthcare/fda-asks-meat-producers-nicely-to-reduce-antibiotic-use-20120411> Valentine, Katie. Study: More Than Half of U.S Meat Contains Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria. 2013. Web. 18 Jul, 2013 WGBH Educational Foundation. Antibiotic Debate Review. 2013. Web. 17 Jul, 2013 < http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/safe/overview.html> Read More