Dr. Gail Hanson on antibiotics overuse in industrial ag and the rise of superbugs
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The antibiotics given to livestock amount to tons every year. If these drugs were administered to help the animal recover from illness or injury, I could see it. But that’s not the case. In many confined animal feeding operations, antibiotics are mixed with the daily feed in order to prevent illness due to crowded conditions, and to boost animal growth.
What does that mean for us?
Dr. Gail Hansen, a senior officer for Pew’s campaign on human health and industrial farming
This Deep Roots Radio interview with Dr. Gail Hanson, of the PEW Charitable Trusts provides eye-opening information.
Dr. Gail Hansen - on industrial ag and antibiotic-resistant bacteria
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Dr. Gail Hansen, a senior officer for Pew’s campaign on human health and industrial farming
The numbers are shocking: according to Save Antibiotics, a health initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts, 23 thousand Americans die every year because they don’t have the medicines they need to fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Add to this an additional two million who are sickened.
Why is this happening? How did we get here?
According to Dr. Gail Hansen, a senior officer for Pew’s campaign on human health and industrial farming, industrial livestock production plays a big role. The animals crowded into feedlots by the tens of thousands are fed sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics in their feed rations. This practice helps create antibiotic-resistant bacteria – superbugs. And that’s a health threat of crisis proportions.
This situation can be reversed, says Dr. Hansen, and the greatest influencers are consumers – you and me. How?
Listen to this live Deep Roots Radio interview with Dr. Hansen, expert in infectious diseases and the antibiotic resistant superbugs that threaten public health in the US and worldwide.
