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Food Safety Works Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network

SAFEFOOD NEWS - Fall 1998 - Vol 3 / No. 1

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Antibiotic Resistance

The overuse and misuse of antibiotics has led to antibiotics losing their effectiveness to killing some disease-causing bacteria. The reason is that in response to "antibiotic attack" some bacteria are able to undergo genetic mutations that make them strong enough to fight off the action of the drug. The result-newly mutated bacteria which are stronger and harder to kill than the original bacteria.

A combination of factors has led to this emerging issue. One is the tendency of practitioners to prescribe antibiotics when they are not needed. Although antibiotics are useful drugs, they are not useful for a viral infection such as a cold, cough or flu. A second factor is that some people stop taking the prescribed antibiotics in the middle of the course. When a full course of antibiotic treatment is not completed, it allows for the surviving bacteria to mutate and potentially become resistant. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that humans consume 235 million doses of antibiotics annually. It is estimated that 20% - 25% of that use is unnecessary.

Two other factors that may be increasing the number of antibiotic resistant foodborne pathogen bacteria are the use of antibiotics in sub-therapeutic doses to promote weight gain in livestock and the excessive use of antibiotics in animals for therapeutic purposes. Tufts University School of Medicine's Dr. Levy states that more than 40% of the antibiotics manufactured in the U.S. are given to animals. CDC estimates that 40% - 80% of the antibiotic use in farm animals is unnecessary.

These animal practices have accelerated the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant microbes, which can then be transferred to humans via the food chain. Resistant strains of four groups of bacteria (Salmonella, Campylobacter, Enterococcus, and Escherichia coli) have been transmitted from animals to humans. CDC and multiple partners have been studying this problem and are promoting adoption of more prudent use of antimicrobial agents in farm animals.

Sharon Thompson, associate director for veterinary medical and international affairs at the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine stated, "The old regulatory approach is inadequate. The new system will stress pre-approval evaluation and post-approval monitoring. The regulatory approach must include input from experts in human as well as veterinary medicine."

It has been proposed that one way to slow the emergence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics is to decrease the use of antibiotics by humans and animals. Reserving antibiotics for only those who really need them would be a place to start.

Sources: 1) IFT Food Safety Notebook, Vol. 9, No. 5, May 1998. 2) Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter, Antibacterial Overkill, October 1998, Vol. 16, No. 8. 3) The National Food Safety Database, Hot Topics, August 1998. 4) The C.A.U.S.E. (Careful Antibiotic Use to Prevent Resistance), Vol. 2, January 1998. 5) The Division of Bacterial & Myotic Diseases, CDC, www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/dbmd.htm.

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Updated Monday, August 29, 2011