Antibiotic use in food-producing animals is a source of concern for veterinary and human health professionals. Investigate research sources to explain why this is a concern and what veterinary professionals and the U.S. government is doing to address the issue

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Some concerns regarding antibiotic use in food-producing animals include the following:

Can antibiotic residues in the food people consume cause antibiotic-resistant foodborne infections?

Can antibiotic residues in the food people consume deplete certain normal flora bacteria?

Should antibiotics be used as growth promotants if alternative options are available to livestock producers?

Should the use of certain antibiotics, such as fluroquinolones and third-generation cephalosporins, be eliminated for livestock because they are reserved for use in hard-to-treat human infections?

Can antibiotic-resistant bacteria pass from livestock waste to other animals, water sources, and ecosystems?

Does over-the-counter sale of some antibiotics in agriculture contribute to antibiotic residues in the food supply?

Government agencies involved in addressing antibiotic use in food-producing animals are as follows:

The FDA approves antibiotics for use in animals produced for food and for

establishing maximum allowable antibiotic residue levels.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service test meat and poultry for antibiotic residues.

The CDC collaborates to test human and animal samples for resistance to certain antibiotics.

Other agencies, like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), may be involved in collaborating with existing government agencies on specific issues.