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Antibiotic Misuse Runs Rampant on
Canadian Factory Farms
July 10, 2014 By Anna Pippus for MFA
A
CBC medical sciences report
details the alarming use of antibiotics in Canadian animal agriculture and the
illuminating inadequacy of Health Canada's response.
Human patients must be ill before being prescribed antibiotics by a physician.
However, healthy farmed animals are routinely administered antibiotics to
prevent them from becoming sick from the cramped and squalid factory farms in
which they spend their lives. These antibiotics can be purchased along with
fencing and footwear from farm supply stores.
According to the World Health Organization, unless antibiotic use is curtailed,
today's treatable infections will become tomorrow's deadly illnesses.
Through a labeling change, Health Canada is now deterring farmers from using
antibiotics as growth promoters, but still is not preventing the use of
antibiotics for disease prevention -- the primary purpose of antibiotics in
Canadian animal agriculture.
The routine misuse of antibiotics by reckless, profit-hungry factory farmers
is creating superbugs that endanger us all. Despite more than a decade of
trying, Health Canada has been thwarted by "stakeholders" in its attempts to
address this concerning issue.
Queasy consumers hold enormous power to refuse to support this irresponsible
industry.
Comment:
This has been widely known for decades but it’s something government, the animal
agriculture industry, and other ‘stakeholders’ have been trying to keep from the
public. Profits first. Maybe these superbugs will eventually wipe us out.
In the meantime, don’t think that
new policies are created because of concern over the welfare of animals. It’s
because now there’s worry that human lives could be in real danger. Animals used
for food will continue to suffer, get sick, and die unnecessarily. The fact is
the entire system of using animals as resources is wrong. It’s time to end it.
Antimicrobial resistance and animals
– Actions
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/antibiotic-antimicrobial-resistance/animals/actions.html
Antimicrobial Resistance In Food Production
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada: Industry, Markets & Trade
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