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"It seems that the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is increasing
and also the number of these confinement livestock facilities are
increasing," said Darrin Qualman, executive secretary of the National
Farmers Union.
"It looks like the problem is getting worse, not better."
Researchers at the University of Illinois have documented the transfer of
antibiotic-resistant genes from large-scale hog facilities to surrounding
water and soil. It's proof, they say, of how resistant genes can enter the
food chain.
It's also the kind of evidence researchers say is lacking to tie antibiotic
resistance in humans, and the creation of so-called superbugs, to
widespread use of antibiotics in the livestock industry.
That final link is elusive but Rustam Aminov, one of the Illinois
scientists, says it's not an unreasonable conclusion with 75 per cent of
antibiotics in the United States finding their way into meat and poultry.
"It is just a question of the scale," he says. "It's incredible in this
industry."
Using DNA, Aminov and a team of scientists connected tetracycline-resistant
genes from two hog facilities to bacteria in surrounding soil and
groundwater.
"We tried to uncover these processes using the fingerprinting technique we
developed here, so we can confirm the identity of antibiotic-resistant
genes which reside in the animal."
Although it wasn't part of their published findings, Aminov said they found
evidence the genes had been transferred to E. coli bacteria.
It was the same strain of E. coli, likely from a livestock operation, that
was responsible for seven deaths in Walkerton last year.
Antibiotics have traditionally been used to treat sick animals.
But another and increasingly controversial use is as a regular part of an
animal's diet, to spur growth and prevent illness.
In particular, they are used by intensive livestock operations where
thousands of animals are kept in fairly confined spaces.
"Antibiotics compensate for bad agricultural practices," charges Aminov.
Martin Rice of the Canadian Pork Council, disagrees. He says modern hog
operations reduce exposure to disease. But he acknowledges the increasing
controversy over the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics and says it's an
issue every farmer has to consider carefully.
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