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medpundit |
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Friday, September 13, 2002The proposal outlined by the FDA on Wednesday suggests procedures drug manufacturers could use to determine whether new animal antibiotics would contribute to the escalating problem of drug-resistant bacteria. The agency said humans are most likely exposed to resistant bacteria through animals produced for food. Environmental groups said the statement shows the agency is acknowledging that animal antibiotics are overused and are a health risk. FDA spokesman Larry Bachorik said the agency isn't making conclusions, but wants to assess whether using drugs on farm animals is a health risk to humans. There have been recent studies to suggest that resistant organisms from animals are transmitted to people when we ingest them. Resistant strains of salmonella have been found in grocery store ground meat, and resistant strains of enterococci have shown up in the stool of people who ate chicken, and pork that contained the resistant organisms. Once in the gut, the resistant bacteria have the potential to share their resistant genes with other gut bacteria, making the threat of growing antibiotic resistance a real one that goes well beyond the visiting chicken, pork, and beef bacteria. (Yes, even bacteria have sex.) posted by Sydney on 9/13/2002 08:24:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
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