Essay On Antibiotics

What is an antibiotic? An antibiotic is a medication that weakens or even eliminates microorganisms that are causing an illness. An antibiotic is used to treat some bacterial diseases and infections. Antibiotics are made up of very strong synthetic drugs, natural materials or a combination of both. (https://www.cdc.gov/antibiotic-use/community/about/antibiotic-resistance-faqs.html) Antibiotics have been around for many decades and have been linked to a drastic decline in illness and death from infections and disease. (http://consumersunion.org/news/the-overuse-of-antibiotics-in-food-animals-threatens-public-health-2/)

“Over 100 antibiotics are available for use in infected patients today.” (Plenum Press, New York, 1992). “However, without

As is also true for the overuse and misuse of them. Antibiotic use in animals can be beneficial in healing animal illness as well as aiding in disease prevention. “Proper use can keep animals healthy, control the spread of diseases between herds, help animals gain weight and prevent the spread of diseases from animals to humans.” (http://animalsmart.org/feeding-the-world/antibiotic-use-in-animal-production) Just as in humans however, antibiotics can be misused. “Livestock producers routinely give antibiotics to animals to make them grow faster or help them survive crowded, stressful, and unsanitary conditions. When these drugs are overused—by humans or animals—some bacteria become antibiotic-resistant, threatening the future effectiveness of these medicines.” (https://www.nrdc.org/issues/reduce-antibiotic-misuse-livestock) This overuse of antibiotics in livestock can also have a negative effect on humans, causing the cycle to run full circle. “Consumers Union has concluded that the threat to public health from the overuse of antibiotics in food animals is real and growing.” “Humans are at risk both due to potential presence of superbugs in meat and poultry, and to the general migration of superbugs into the environment, where they can transmit their genetic immunity to antibiotics to other bacteria, including bacteria that make people sick.”