” 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.