Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Leah Valencia, University of New Mexico- Talk Radio News Service

The Pew Charitable Trusts urged Congress Thursday to pass legislation that would prevent the spread of antibiotic resistant infections on the industrial farms that are responsible for the nation’s food supply.

“Sixty-four percent of 1400 human pathogens originate in animals,” Pew Environment Group Senior Advisor Robert Martin said during a discussion on Capitol Hill. “When you add low levels of daily antibiotics in the mix, you have a perfect system for creating antibiotic resistant bacteria.”

The Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production said that industrial farms are routinely feeding poultry, swine and cattle with unprescribed antibiotics to grow larger animals more quickly, and to compensate for crowded unsanitary conditions.

“The conditions in the farms make a perfect storm... you have crowding... and when one animal becomes infected or colonized with bacteria they spread it throughout the farm,” infectious disease researcher Tara Smith said. “This all this leads to a huge potential reservoir of antibiotic resisting bacteria.”

Earlier this year Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) introduced the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act that would work to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and stop the use of seven classes of antibiotics that are commonly used in human bacterial treatment from use on factory farms unless animals or herds are sick with disease. The bill has yet to have been taken up for debate.