184981 Agricultural antibiotic use and resistant bacteria: How much MRSA is grown on our farms?

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 8:45 AM

John M. Balbus, MD, MPH , National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD
Rebecca J. Goldburg, PhD , Health Program, Environmental Defense, New York, NY
     
Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a serious public health threat, killing an estimated 19,000 people in the United States each year. The recent emergence of community-acquired (CA-) MRSA in the US has led to the highly publicized deaths of dozens of otherwise health people, many of them school children. Recent studies from around the world demonstrated a link between antibiotic use on pig and cattle farms and CA-MRSA. MRSA is found on a high proportion of pig farms in the Netherlands and Canada. One study suggests that more than 20% of all CA-MRSA in the Netherlands originated on livestock farms. Over 10 million pounds of medically-important antibiotics are estimated to be routinely fed to pigs each year, in part to compensate for premature weaning. This presentation will review the most recent literature linking antibiotic use in livestock production to CA-MRSA and offer viable measures to reduce this problem.

Learning Objectives:
Describe how use of antibiotics on livestock farms is related to dissemination of MRSA in communities Summarize recent studies linking antibiotic use on livestock farms to commmunity acquired MRSA Describe measures that can be taken to reduce antibiotic use on livestock farms

Keywords: Antibiotic Resistance, Food Safety

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As a physician and environmental health professional I have worked and lectured on antimicrobial resistance related to antimicrobial use on farms for over 5 years
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Industrial Agriculture: Health Threats and Solutions (jointly organized by the Environment and Food & Nutrition Sections)
See more of: Environment