ANTIBIOTICS

ANTIBIOTICS

Antibiotics are no longer as effective as they used to be. When you take too many antibiotics or do not take them correctly, you can create “super bug”. These bacteria are known as being “resistant”. This means that antibiotics cannot kill the bacteria. These resistant bacteria can spread and infect people around us.

MRSAC  (methicillin –resistant staphylococcus aureus). The MRSA is a good example of “super bug” that is killing people. These bacteria are able to fight off antibiotics because they have built up a resistance by being exposed to low levels of antibiotics over a long period of time. They can even multiply to produce more bacteria that will not respond to antibiotics.

Everyday Exposure to Antibiotics

Antibiotics are prescription medicines. No one should take antibiotics without the approval of a medical professional. However, consumers are taking small amounts of antibiotics everyday without realizing it.

Antibiotics in Meat

We must remember that antibiotics are not just used by people. They are mixed with food to feed livestock. In the early 1950’s farmers discovered that adding antibiotics in animals’ foods made the animals grow bigger and faster. Many studies confirmed that antibiotics fed to livestock show up in the meat. And then we eat that meat.

Antibiotics in Vegetables

Antibiotics can also be found in vegetables and fruits. The U.S department of Agriculture funded a study to test this. Scientist took manure from animals that were given antibiotics. They grew different plants in the manure and then tested its leaves. What they found was alarming.

1. The antibiotics was present in fruits, vegetables as well as the vegetable leaves.

2. The amount of antibiotics in the plant was directly related to the amount in the soil

3. The plants absorbed antibiotics in the soil as it grew.

4. Crops that grow underground might absorb even more antibiotics from the soil. Examples of such crops include potatoes and carrots.

                Antibiotics in Water