How are antibiotics actually making bacteria stronger?

Antibiotics were supposed to kill bacteria but they are actually making them stronger.

Find out how and what you can do to be healthier.

Reading here and there, Ive found some really alarming information about how antibiotics, instead of healing us, might actually end up harming us. Some bacteria have become stronger and can resist to antibiotics.

Health officials say bacteria are being transmitted to us humans through pigs and other meat. Maybe the increased use of antibiotics in agriculture is a cause for the spread of the antibiotic-resistant strain.

What are ESBLs?

Although there are several articles stating that ESBLs (Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamases) are bacteria, they are actually substances (enzymes) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESBL produced by certain types of bacteria, which make the bacteria resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat (get rid of) them. See, bacteria want to survive, like all life forms, so they develop ways to resist antibiotics.

ESBLs were first discovered in the mid-1980s. At the time they found them mostly in one species of bacteria (Klebsiella), in hospital intensive care units. Until recently, few people were affected by these new and stronger bacteria and it didnt seem to be a serious cause of worry.

However, things are different now. According to the British Health Protection Agency (HPA), a new class of these substances produced by certain types of bacteria (called CTX-M enzymes) has emerged, which are now often found among Escherichia Coli bacteria (which can cause gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections and neonatal meningitis). These ESBL-producing E. Coli can resist to penicillins and cephalosporins, and are becoming more frequent in urinary tract infections.

Also there are other species of bacteria that can now produce substances to make themselves stronger and resistant to antibiotics.

These species include:
Klebsiella pneumoniae (causing pneumonia and urinary tract infections
Klebsiella oxytoca Salmonella (causing typhoid fever and food poisoning)
Proteus mirabilis (can cause kidney stones and infections)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa (infects the pulmonary tract, urinary tract, burns, wounds, and also causes other blood infections)

The problem is worse than you think!

I also read that according to a study published in October 2007 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), there were nearly 100,000 cases of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the United States in 2005.

In that study they clearly say that the reason why there are stronger bacteria is the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

So we see that antibiotics have been used to fight bacteria but now their over-use is creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing diseases and they dont know how to fight them. This is really a problem!

There are discussions focused on reducing medical over-use of antibiotics and proper hygiene (basic things such as washing your hands with soap and water) to reduce the spread of infections.
But what about the widespread over-use of antibiotics in agriculture? Apparently it is the MAJOR source of human antibiotic consumption, and hence increased antibiotic resistance.

Is agriculture causing antibiotic resistance?

Its clear that the origin of antibiotic resistance can being traced back to animals raised for food production, especially pigs.

These animals are often fed antibiotics at low doses to prevent diseases and help their growth (to me it sounds a bit mad, like putting a plaster on your finger before you cut it or to prevent cuts). Animals receiving antibiotics in their feed gain 4-5% more body weight than animals that do not receive antibiotics. This s good for meat producers who have heavier animals when it comes to sell them, but is not good for you and me, the end consumers, because this practice also creates the perfect conditions for antibiotic resistance to flourish.

However, according to research cited on Johns Hopkins website the main reservoir of these organisms is in the lower digestive tract, and these bacteria can persist within the gastrointestinal tract for months.

So, apparently the meat industry practice of using antibiotics is indeed the reason behind the development of antibiotic resistance in a now wide variety of bacteria that cause human disease.

In May 1997 the FDA finally banned the use of a widely used group of antimicrobials (fluoroquinolones) from agricultural use but not without the vehement opposition of antibiotics producers. After all, antibiotics for livestock use is big business. It constitutes about 70% of ALL antibiotic use! They couldnt replace that market with human consumers even if they tried.

Other agricultural sources of antibiotics

Another meat product you should stay away from is conventionally raised chicken. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that bacteria from conventional chicken and from people who ate the chicken became resistant to antibiotics used to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In essence, it can cause resistance to the last lines of defense currently available in the modern medicine cabinet.

Another study also found that it was rare to find resistant bacteria among antibiotic-free chicken, while the majority of bacterial isolates from conventional poultry were resistant. But using antibiotics in agriculture has many the ramifications. You can find antibiotics through the whole food chain. For example, antibiotics are also being transferred, via manure, into your food supply.

A 2007 study in the Journal of Environmental Quality looked at whether food crops will accumulate antibiotics from soil covered with antibiotic-containing manure. In a greenhouse setting, corn, lettuce and potatoes were grown on soil that contained hog manure with a commonly used veterinary antibiotic added.

All three crops had absorbed the antibiotics, into both their leaves and tissue.

Meanwhile, the antibiotics also transferred to the potato tubers, suggesting that root crops like carrots, radishes and potatoes may be particularly at risk of antibiotic accumulation.

What to eat to avoid excessive antibiotic exposure?

So how can you be sure that the food you yourself and your family eat is pure and healthy?

If you dont fancy growing it yourself, your best option is to get to know a local farmer near you, one who uses non-toxic farming methods. If you live in a town or city, there are more and more community-supported agriculture programs available that give you access to healthy, locally grown foods even if you live in the heart of the city. Or you can always search Internet to find some organic producers in your area.
If you are looking for a safer alternative to commercially raised beef, be sure to check out grass-fed beef. Usually, grass-fed cattle are not fed antibiotics as a routine. They may occasionally receive them for an infection, but that would be the rare exception, and even then they are only used for a few days.

Of course, natural is best, organic
superior, and to learn how to undo the negative effects already suffered, I found this website below with a lot of information about how to live a healthier life.

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