# Superbugs vs Antibiotic Eating Germs



## JoKing (Mar 11, 2012)

*bahramthered said,*_ "The livestock in some states consume more antibiotics than all the humans in the country. Super bugs (disease resistant) have been found in a lot of these farms. Some of the scariest are now able to eat antibiotics as food."_

With all due respect, it seems as though your statement is that of two different subjects mixed together. I don't know your reference, but I found that the germs that can live solely on antibiotics are not human pathogens. It seems to be a natural occurrence in the ecosystem(Opinion based on following article). None of the ones found could be ranked as "scary" in comparison with the super bugs that can affect humans.


> Hundreds of germs in soil eat up antibiotics
> Associated Press April 3, 2008
> WASHINGTON - Antibiotics are supposed to kill bacteria, not feed them. Yet Harvard University researchers have discovered hundreds of germs in soil that literally gobble up antibiotics, able to thrive with the potent drugs as their sole source of nutrition.
> 
> ...


http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2008-04-03-antibiotics-germs-soil_N.htm



bahramthered said:


> The farming industry does it to keep their animals healthy under less than hygienic conditions. Big phrama loves selling the drugs to them. Sooner or later it's gonna cause an outbreak of something nasty. Maybe then we'll get some regulations to end this.
> 
> Oh wait all regulations are bad and invasions of personnel liberty. Enjoy the plague.


There may be hope, afterall...The following article may not be the solution, but at least it is pointed in the right direction.



> Superbug Rise Spurs Rule for Animal Antibiotics
> Bloomberg April 11, 2012
> Farmers will need prescriptions to get antibiotics for their livestock and the drugs should only be given when medically necessary to avoid overuse that can foster resistance, U.S. regulators said today.
> 
> ...


 http://bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-1...rs-u-s-call-for-less-drugs-use-in-animals.htm


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Those are quite interesting - saying something now that I was saying about 20 years ago when I first heard of the super-bug - the flesh-eater that was running around hospitals and killing patients. When someone screws around with mother nature, mother nature in all her wisdom will give us the back hand and tell us to behave. The more that we try to "fix" her world to match what we want, the more that she will back-hand us.

I feel that real soon, the back-hand slap will become a real spanking :gaah:


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## JoKing (Mar 11, 2012)

Yeah, if it's not to late, bigger eyes than ours are starting to open.


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