Sharp rise in the misuse of antibiotic ceftiofur in livestock poses a threat to public health

Ceftiofur, wonder drug for dairy farmers, endangers public health

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The antibiotic ceftiofur is a wonder drug for dairy farmers. But its strength – and the frequency at which it’s used improperly in cattle – pose a threat to public health.

” It is one of the most potent antibiotics used by U.S. cattle and dairy farmers, the key component in the top-selling drug line of Zoetis, the world’s largest animal health company. But the strength of the antibiotic ceftiofur – and the frequency with which it’s being misused on farms across America – has created a threat to human health that may overshadow the drug’s effectiveness, a Reuters examination shows

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cautioned in 2012 that ceftiofur could pose a “high public health risk,” in part because the drug belongs to a class of antibiotics considered critically important in human medicine. The warning is the FDA’s strongest kind. The concern is that ceftiofur in animals could spawn antibiotic-resistant bacteria, superbugs that can infect people and defeat conventional medical treatment, even when the drug is used as directed. ”

continue reading Reuters Investigation Farmaceuticals, The drugs fed to farm animals and the risks posed to humans, includes:

  • The antibiotic ceftiofur is a wonder drug for dairy farmers. But its strength – and the frequency at which it’s used improperly in cattle – pose a threat to public health
  • Floored by a superbug
More press releases
  • Abusing Chickens We Eat,
    nytimes, Nicholas D. Kristof, DEC. 3, 2014
  • Watch What It’s Like to Be a Factory-Farmed Chicken,
    motherjones, Dec. 4, 2014.
  • Perdue Whistleblower Video Reveals Horrors,
    opednews, Martha Rosenberg, Dec. 4, 2014.
  • Hoping to Change the Industry, a Factory Farmer Opens His Barn Doors, wired, Dec. 4, 2014.
  • Better Chicken Initiative, CWIF.

2 thoughts on “Sharp rise in the misuse of antibiotic ceftiofur in livestock poses a threat to public health”

  1. Great article! When we first got chickens a few years ago we went to the local feed store to get our feed. We asked for non medicated etc. It had to be special ordered! Now, they bring it in for us and we mix our own, but sadly I think we are a minority. Another even bigger monster lurking here is the fact they quietly started to ‘vaccinate’ all poultry.
    Of course, viruses multiply readily in chicken eggs and have been developed in them for years. I’ll leave the rest of that to your imagination.
    April

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