Poultry farms use antibiotics as growth promoter — resulting in antibiotic resistance in humans. Surprise, surprise!

Published on October 17th, 2006

Results of the three-year study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are in the November 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Edward Belongia, M.D., and his colleagues examined poultry exposure as a risk factor for antibiotic resistance in Enterococcus faecium, a gut bacterium that is increasingly the cause of infections in hospitals. The investigation team focused on use of a growth-promoting antibiotic, called virginiamycin, in poultry.

“We’ve known for a long time that resistant bacteria can be found on retail poultry products, but our study is one of the first to show an association between human carriage of antibiotic resistance genes and eating poultry or handling raw poultry.

“These results indicate that virginiamycin use in poultry leads to transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to human gut bacteria through the food supply and they provide additional evidence that use of growth promoters in animals may have long-term consequences for human health.

After exposure to virginiamycin, E. faecium from conventional poultry and from patients who consumed poultry became resistant to Synercid more often than E. faecium from vegetarians or from antibiotic-free poultry. Some of the resistance was attributed to a specific gene and both the gene and resistance were associated with touching raw poultry meat and frequent poultry consumption.

Laboratory tests showed the bacteria isolated from patients and vegetarians had no pre-existing resistance to Synercid. Resistance was rare among antibiotic-free poultry but a majority of bacterial isolates from conventional poultry samples were resistant.

In other words, greedy agri-business creeps put crap into chickens that makes preparation and consumption of their poultry decrease your own capacity to resist infection. A fine mess!

26 users responded in " Poultry farms use antibiotics as growth promoter — resulting in antibiotic resistance in humans. Surprise, surprise! "

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# 1 joshua said, on October 17th, 2006 at 12:30 pm

Can anyone say…..*free range, organic chicken*?

# 2 Mark said, on October 17th, 2006 at 12:43 pm

Fear CHICKENS!!

# 3 Eideard said, on October 17th, 2006 at 12:46 pm

Filling the critters with drugs is an issue unto itself, I realize, joshua; but, just as someone who really loves to cook, I would continue to prepare free range, natural or organic chicken — instead of the scary pumped-up variety — on the basis of taste alone.

# 4 chewy said, on October 17th, 2006 at 1:02 pm

Hey John check this out..

good for a laugh!

http://www.apple.com/support/windowsvirus/

~chewy

# 5 Ballenger said, on October 17th, 2006 at 1:18 pm

This is a new book partially about anti-biotic resistance, specifically on Bacteriophage as a possible alternative. The book is more of history than a biology text. The concept seems to have the support of some reputable organizations, unless you rule out the Pasteur Institute based on French-phobia. If this is a valid alternative, it begs the question why isn’t the technology getting more attention.

Publisher’s pitch/info sheet on the book.

http://www.palgrave-usa.com/Catalog/product.aspx?isbn=1403987645

This is the Wiki page on the general subject of Bacteriophage.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophage

# 6 FRAGaLOT said, on October 17th, 2006 at 1:38 pm

Mmm… chicken. Robotchicken!

# 7 OhForTheLoveOf said, on October 17th, 2006 at 1:43 pm

I fear that what I don’t know about factory farming is approaching a critical mass that could implode into itself at any moment…

But I am, for a while now, dealing with new health issues that I hadn’t been dealing with before and I realize that I can no longer take food for granted. The more I know about what is in food, the scarier eating is becoming. Traditional ideas about what is and is not healthy are also suspect to me now. Portion control is demanding a radical new way of thinking for me. I really was never aware that i have been under attack by food, and more to the point, industrial agroculture, for so long now.

People… I will say it again, and I’ll go to my grave being thought a fool… but I am right. Unfettered capitalism creates a culture where greed is a virture, wealth is the measure of you status as a citizen, and non-owners are just cattle with no real individual worth. Make more, cheaper, at a higher profit, and don’t concern yourself with whether or not you are killing the consumer.

# 8 Mark said, on October 17th, 2006 at 2:36 pm

7. Not foolish at all. Bottom line profits mean everything no matter who it hurts. The FDA has become a useless/powerless organization. I am not big on government regulation, but there are things we need to be protected from because we as citizens have no power to control it. We have to eat, and it is becoming impossible to determine the source of food. I understand that companies arent required to state the country of origin on packaging. When I go to a restaurant, I like to ask whether they use grain fed beef, and most do not know. See this as an example of corporate greed and the murder of thousands of unsuspecting people.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/03/health/main556653.shtml

# 9 Jägermeister said, on October 17th, 2006 at 2:38 pm

#1 – Joshua

Quite funny… I just finished my dinner, and it included free range, organic chicken. It actually tastes better than the chicken I’m used too (“factory” chickens).

# 10 Smartalix said, on October 17th, 2006 at 3:32 pm

Robot Chicken is one of the funniest TV shows in existence!

# 11 Awake said, on October 17th, 2006 at 4:28 pm

At the risk of sounding like a perv… have you noticed how early and large the breasts of girls are developing? Could it be that the girls have been drinking milk from cows that are given hormones to enhance large udders and have a larger milk production? Could it be that the hormones are carrying through the milk and affecting girls bodies?
The fact that additives given to living beings are passed on to those that consume them is largely undisputed, and acquired antibiotic resistance though food consumption should be no surprise to anyone.

# 12 Shane said, on October 17th, 2006 at 4:33 pm

This is why I hunt. Fresh good meat with no crap added. Up here in Minnesota we hunt Grouse and it tastes tons better than any chicken. venison is also good. Way better than beef.

I would like to know what is in my schools food. It doesn’t look very natural at all..

-Shane

# 13 joshua said, on October 17th, 2006 at 4:41 pm

I know it’s almost impossible with now 300 million mouths to feed to provide enough organis/or organic free range for everyone, but it sure as hell could be close.

My Dad informed me that no one on his side of the family has bought a store bought chicken since 1887 and even when my Grandfather sold them, no chemicals of any kind or store bought feed was ever used for raising them. My Mom’s family also raised their own free range until 1994 when my Grandfather died and no one kept chickens anymore.

We do the same with out pigs and of course the cattle that we still raise. They are grain and grass fed, that we grow ourselves and is organic. No chemicals are used on either for any reason.

# 14 TJGeezer said, on October 17th, 2006 at 5:09 pm

I thought the link between antibiotics in feed for livestock of all kinds and “superbugs” has been pretty well known for years now. Except to Congress and the FDA, of course.

# 15 Jägermeister said, on October 17th, 2006 at 5:19 pm

#12

I’ve got no problem with people hunting for food. But “recreation hunting”… now, that’s something that I’ve got a problem with.

#13

All the power to you and your family. I would buy meat from a farm like yours, even if it cost me more. One of the problems with the big industrial farms is that they’re mixing up whatever in the food for the cows and pigs, and you end up with things like the mad cow disease.

# 16 Mr. Fusion said, on October 17th, 2006 at 5:24 pm

#14, Same comment I was going to make.

Joshua, you make a good point but most of us don’t have the acreage to raise our own livestock. If we could, of course we would, but I have less then two acres and can only afford a vegetable garden. But then our fruit trees give us enough preserves to last the year, without any added garbage.

# 17 tallwookie said, on October 17th, 2006 at 9:39 pm

I dont eat chicken or poultry – never have, never will

- it tastes bad
- its got a weird texture
- I wont miss it when world chicken populations are decimated by birdflu
- since i dont/wont eat it, i am not restistant to antibiotics

# 18 OhForTheLoveOf said, on October 18th, 2006 at 12:17 am

#16 – most of us don’t have the acreage to raise our own livestock. If we could, of course we would,

Hey now Mr. Fusion… Speak for yourself. You want to raise livestock, be my guest… I, on the other hand, prefer never to wake up outside the safe confines of civilization. Put my meat in the corner deli, next to my dry cleaners, by the L stop, across from that diner, down the street from my hi rise.

# 19 joshua said, on October 18th, 2006 at 4:01 am

#17…tallwookie…if you eat store bought beef or pork, you just might be surprised at how much anti-biotics your getting. And that goes for that glass of milk in your hand.

#16…Mr. Fusion….you can buy organic beef and poultry and pork at stores all over now. And if your lucky enough to have a real butcher shop around, you can bet they will have it or get it for you. With 2 acres, you can raise your own chicken and have some laying hens for eggs.

# 20 Mr. Fusion said, on October 18th, 2006 at 6:45 am

#19, Unfortunately, we would need two or more acres to raise livestock, including chicken. Because we are all on wells out here, the county believes one needs the extra area to get rid of sewage. Also, because this is such a small farming* community, 3,400, the sole supermarket doesn’t carry too much outside of the regular meat and potatoes. Geeze, they don’t even carry kippers.

* corn and soybeans

# 21 meetsy said, on October 18th, 2006 at 11:50 am

Joshua
“free range organic” means nothing….it used to, but the term was “regulated” by the FDA and USAG, and now it means “open door for an hour, slightly bigger cage” and “organic” can still mean ground up mystery meat and antibiotics.
Uhhh…..the terms you WANT to look for are “pastured”

http://www.apppa.org/

And, then with the side kicker “no antibiotics or growh hormones”

yeesh, let’s pay attention to our food

# 22 meetsy said, on October 18th, 2006 at 11:59 am

Mr. Fusion
You would only need a few chickens to provide fresh eggs…and the “waste” would be good for your garden, and the chickens would rid the garden of unwanted bugs (they love sowbugs, earwigs, and assorted other creepy crawlers). You’re mistaken if you think it would cause any issues and even MOST cities will allow a few hens (roos are another issue..although I take mine in at night). The urban chicken is a growing trend. If I could raise 4 chickens and 3 ducks in a “typical, small urban backyard”…you could certainly tuck a few onto a few acres!!!
The eggs are WAY BETTER and chickens eat anything….even all your kitchen scraps (vege trimmings, leftovers, bread crusts, etc.) and turn it INSTANTLY into compost!
Chickens are GREAT!

# 23 Eideard said, on October 18th, 2006 at 1:19 pm

Joshua — folks from your family ever wander up to the Navajo Nation? The first thing I learned when I lived and worked in Chinle was that, if you wandered out to the Mormon trading posts that ring the res, they often bought and slaughtered Navajo sheep and lambs.

Last time I was near Gallup I paid $1.99/lb. for fresh lamb that was eating sagebrush the day before. I tried [and failed] to convince Navajo officials they had a gold mine walking around the res in all that naturally-fed four-footed protein.

# 24 Smith said, on January 7th, 2007 at 8:43 am

yes ! its a good to hear that If I could raise 4 chickens and 3 ducks in a “typical, small urban backyard”…you could certainly tuck a few onto a few acres!!!
The eggs are WAY BETTER and chickens eat anything….even all your kitchen scraps (vege trimmings, leftovers, bread crusts, etc.)

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