World health Organization releases report on spread of antibiotic resistance

Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its first-ever report on the spread of antibiotic resistance around the world. Their findings sound the alarm for aggressive action to stop the misuse of antibiotics in order to preserve their effectiveness for years to come.

            Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its first-ever report on the spread of antibiotic resistance around the world. Their findings sound the alarm for aggressive action to stop the misuse of antibiotics in order to preserve their effectiveness for years to come.

            “The WHO’s 2014 report on global surveillance of antimicrobial resistance reveals that antibiotic resistance is no longer a prediction for the future — it is happening right now, around the world, and is putting our ability to treat common infections in the community and hospitals at risk. Without urgent, coordinated action, the world is heading toward a post-antibiotic era, in which common infections and minor injuries, which have been treatable for decades, can once again kill,” said Garo Manjikian, CALPIRG’s legislative Advocate.

 

            Authors report widespread antibiotic resistance in bacteria is occurring for serious diseases such as bloodstream infections (sepsis), diarrhea, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and gonorrhea. Additionally, resistance in life-threatening bacteria most commonly responsible for hospital-acquired infections has spread to all parts of the world. People with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) are 64 percent more likely to die than people with non-resistant forms of infection.

            The California legislature should follow the recommendations of the report, and terminate the use of antibiotics on animals that are not actually sick. AB 1437, submitted by Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, which enjoyed widespread support from the public health community, would have done just that. Unfortunately, the bill also faced stiff opposition from livestock and poultry producers and in the Assembly Agriculture Committee earlier this week, and was pulled from the hearing. At a time when 80 percent of all antibiotics in the U.S. are sold to factory farms, we can’t afford to wait any longer to fix this problem.

            The farm industry likes to point out that they are working with Senator Jerry Hill on a separate bill, SB 835. Unfortunately, SB 835 only codifies recent, weaker Food and Drug Administration guidelines into state law. These FDA guidelines have a glaring loophole that will continue to allow for the widespread use of antibiotics in animal feed for “prevention” purposes. However, the majority of antibiotics used in the farm industry are used for preventive use, mostly to overcompensate for crowded and unsanitary conditions. By codifying the federal guidelines into state law, SB 835 could do more harm than good by tying California to weak standards and a lengthy timeline for implementation.

            California lawmakers should listen to the World Health Organization and so many other public health organizations around the world, and stop the use of antibiotics on animals that are not sick.