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According to a recent report, about 70%
of the antibiotics produced in the USA each year -- nearly
25 million pounds in all -- are fed to
healthy
to prevent disease or speed growth. Such ''excessive'' use of antibiotics
in livestock is contributing to the growing problem of antibiotic
resistance.
'The use of antibiotics in human medicine remains the biggest
contributor to the problem of antibiotic resistance,
because these drugs act directly on the germs causing human disease.
''But this study suggests the contribution of animal use is likely
to be greater than people had thought.''
The report's estimate is far higher than the 17.8 million
pounds of antibiotics used in livestock that was reported a year
ago by the Animal Health Institute, which represents veterinary
drug companies.
The new report, which is on the Web at www.ucsusa.org,
estimates that 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics are used for ''non-therapeutic''
purposes in livestock, including:
- 10.3 million pounds in hogs
- 10.5 million pounds in poultry
- 3.7 million pounds in cattle
The numbers are based on the number of animals slaughtered each
year and the types and doses of antibiotics approved for them.
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