Of all antibiotics sold in the United States, approximately 80% are sold for use in animal agriculture; about 70% of these are “medically important” (i.e., from classes important to human medicine).2 Antibiotics are administered to animals in feed to marginally improve growth rates and to prevent infections, a practice projected to increase dramatically worldwide over the next 15 years.3 There is growing evidence that antibiotic resistance in humans is promoted by the widespread use of nontherapeutic antibiotics in animals. Resistant bacteria are transmitted to humans through direct contact with animals, by exposure to animal manure, through consumption of undercooked meat, and through contact with uncooked meat or surfaces meat has touched.4

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4638249/

[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Jesus... But thanks for having your sources ready!

[–] [email protected] 19 points 6 months ago

Added the source to the post text now. Probably should have done that to begin with

[–] techt 5 points 6 months ago (2 children)

I dug in (thanks for linking sources) and there are some promising details. The ~80% figure for the US is from a 2011 report (even though the citation states 2014...), so it's very old. In 2019, the US began an initiative to increase awareness of this issue and address it, see the progress here (pdf link).

Not trying to counter the narrative, but at least we're talking about it on the federal level, so maybe that can provide some optimism to people.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Unfortunately, the trend is in the opposite direction for the US. Here's a more recent source looking at the use of the most medically important antibiotics and how they have continued to increase

(note: not including all antibiotics so not directly comparable previous citation)

In addition, the proportion of the most medically important antibiotics is increasingly going to farmed animals instead of humans, according to an analysis published in September by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and One Health Trust. In 2017, the meat industry purchased 62% of the U.S. supply, but by 2020, this rose to 69%.

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/despite-rising-deaths-bacterial-infection-meat-industry-under-little-pressure-2024-03-12/

Even some companies that specifically claim to not use antibiotics, have been found to use antibiotics

Some beef ‘raised without antibiotics’ tests positive for antibiotics in study

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/04/07/antibiotics-found-in-natural-meat/

[–] [email protected] 6 points 6 months ago

Unfortunately talking about a problem is not enough when the industry throws money at legislators to not do anything or delay all progress.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

We'll feed them antibiotics by the shovelful but won't vaccinate chickens...

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Don't worry we'll do that and still do things like this

Feedback, is a common practice used in the pork industry where infected deceased pigs and their manure are fed to breeding pigs. It it also called controlled oral exposure or sometimes oral controlled exposure. It is done in an attempt to make the breeding pigs garner some degree of immunity to circulating diseases.[1] There is no standard protocol resulting in some swine researchers calling the procedure potentially risky and noting that it is often done in an unsafe manner.[2][3] The practice has also been criticized by animal welfare and animal rights groups calling it disturbing and or unethical.

[...]

However, feedback usage extends beyond diseases where vaccines do not yet exist. In 2012, while 45% of large US herds vaccinated young female pigs against PRRS, 26.6% used feedback (or did so in addition).[6]

[...]

The usage of feedback is not limited to just one country or region. Widespread usage has been recorded in at least the 2010s in places such as the United States,[6] Taiwan,[7] Belgium,[8] Japan,[9] South Korea,[10] Thailand,[11] and more. Additionally, following a PEDv outbreak in the 1970s, feedback was commonly used across Europe.[12]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feedback_(pork_industry)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

Oh, what a wonderful thing to read after just buying a large piece of pork.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 6 months ago

In Germany 2015 1700 tons of antibiotics were used, thereof only 300 t for human use.