Why are Antibiotic-Resistant Disease Killing Both Humans and Swine?

The overuse of antibiotics in agriculture is causing a problem to both human and animals. Find out how and why this is such a worldwide problem and what is the impact on your health..
People and pigs are dying daily due to a antibiotic bacteria called
Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL)

The number of deaths this year with patients suffering from cancer and liver problems has been implicated the bacteria. This year the numbers have jumped to 50 percent.

The cross over from pigs to humans says health officials are due to the use of antibiotics in farming. So what are ESBLs?

Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase are enzymes made by certain types of bacteria which cause to the bacteria to be resistant to the antibiotics normally used to treat them.

These enzymes were discovered about 20 years ago. At this time they were found in intensive care units in hospitals. Only a few people were affected it was not such a problem and of little concern then.

Times have changed. According The British Health Protection Agency (HPA) a new strain of these enzymes have been detected and are now becoming more frequent in urinary tract infections. The problem is worse than you think.

The Journal of the American Medical Association published a study in 2007 explained that there were 100,000 cases of Staphylococcus infections in the USA in 2005 which lead to more than 18600 deaths.

As a comparison, deaths from HIV/AIDS killed 17,000 people that year. Antibiotic-resistant disease is a major man-made problem.

Last year the study was in the news and combined with an outbreak at schools at about the same time much was made about hygiene such as washing hands after the bathroom to reduce infectious disease.

Very little has been said about over use of antibiotics in agriculture and because of this it had become the major source of human antibiotics consumption and increased resistance. These types of enzymes can be tracked back to food production especially pigs.

Animals are fed antibiotics to prevent disease and promote growth. Animals that are given antibiotics gain weight more rapidly than animals that are not. Another seriously contaminated meat that we all
Should stay away from is chicken.

That may be good for the producers of food but not the consumer as this practice create perfect conditions for resistance to flourish. In fact, the meat industry practice of using antibiotics is indeed a large part of the reason for human diseases. Antibiotics in agriculture account for 70 percent of all antibiotics used in the world today.

The contamination in meat does not end there. It has been found that animal waste used as manure leaches into the soil and contaminates other foods.


A study carried out in 2007 by the Journal of Environmental Quality showed that food crop grown in a greenhouse setting using hog manure proved that corn, lettuce and potatoes were contaminated with antibiotics. This form of manure is still allowed to be used.

So, how do we avoid excessive exposure to antibiotics? Grow our own food if we can and let our local farmers know that we know about their practices.

Buy beef that are fed on grass and by traditional methods. Animals may occasionally be given antibiotics for infections but that will only be used for a few days.

The saying natural is best is true and organic is far superior. To learn how to undo some of the negative effects done to you visit
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