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Tag: antibiotics

  • DIMINISHING EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTIBIOTICS: THE WHY AND WAY OUT

    DIMINISHING EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTIBIOTICS: THE WHY AND WAY OUT

    By Mojisola Alaiya

    Have you experienced this before? After taking full dose of an antibiotic prescribed for your specific infection judiciously you still do not feel better.

    Sometimes when this happens we assume that the antibiotic must be adulterated or fake. This may not be so.

    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health issue of concern(HIC) and has been for quite a while.
    Funny how these little fellas- tiny, minute, inconspicuous microorganisms- have been able to outwit humans.

    According to the WHO, antimicrobial resistance not only makes treatment of infections increasingly difficult, it is also a threat to food security and development.

    Scientific studies have shown that many pathogenic microbes have developed resistance to known conventional synthetic antibiotics.

    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can be likened to a war zone where the enemy’s army is able to get information of the tactics a country intends to utilize due to repeated usage of the same war strategy. These microorganisms have become so familiar with the mechanism of action of the synthetic antibiotics that they are able to develop defences against them.

    The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant microbes threatens the effective prevention and treatment of diseases and is an increasingly serious threat to global public health. It is creating a serious burden on modern medical care.

    AMR occurs when microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites demonstrate a change in expected response when exposed to antimicrobial medications better known as antibiotics.

    According to the WHO, pathogenic bacteria are a major cause of diseases and death in developing countries such as Nigeria. Twelve priority pathogenic bacteria pose the greatest threat to human health. A few of these are: Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli sp., Salmonella sp. and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

    Some of the reasons for diminishing effectiveness of synthetic antibiotics especially in developing countries include the following:

    1. Overuse of antibiotics which overtime causes the pathogenic microorganism to change its structure in order to survive attack.
    2. Inappropriate prescription and self-medication.
    3. Lack of availability of many new antibiotics.

    How can we overcome AMR?

    Combating antimicrobial resistance requires the involvement of everyone.
    When you fail to complete the full course or dose of antibiotic prescribed for you, you are inadvertently contributing to the global problem of antimicrobial resistance.
    Endeavour to complete your dose even if you feel you have recovered from your illness.
    It is also important to stop the indiscriminate use of antibiotics.

    There is increasing interest in natural products such as plant part extracts to combat AMR.
    Plants have been used for centuries in various cultures of the world for the treatment of diseases and they have become of great interest in modern medicine.
    Plants synthesize certain chemicals called phytochemicals which are the scientific basis for their use in the treatment of diseases in ethnomedicine.

    My published research on antimicrobial activities of mango and guava entitled “Formulation of antiseptic ointments from Mangifera indica kernel, leaf and Psidium guajava leaf extracts” Tropical Journal of Natural Product Research 3(10):307–31 downloadable on ResearchGate gives a glimpse of the antimicrobial ability inherent in the fruits and plants found abundantly on the African continent.
    The mango and guava based antimicrobial agents formulated in this research were found to exhibit significant antibacterial activities against some of the WHO priority pathogenic bacteria suh as gram-positive S. aureus (which causes toxic shock syndrome and boils), gram-negative E. coli (which causes bloody diarrhoea and other intestinal illnesses ) and Salmonella sp.(which causes typhoid fever).

    This research is further scientific evidence that it is possible to combat antimicrobial resistance with the use of plant extracts.

    Mango known as the king of fruits in some parts of Asia is a pharmacologically diverse plant. Every part of this plant has been reported to possess significant pharmacological potentials. Mango contains most of the major known phytochemicals namely alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, anthraquinones and phenols.

    It is hoped that funding for more researches into development of natural products to combat growing antimicrobial resistance will be pursued by both government and the pharmaceutical industry especially in developing countries like Nigeria.

  • Recalled antibiotics

    Recalled antibiotics

    •A positive response to fakery

    This year “will be tough for the people that prioritise money over the wellbeing of their fellow human beings by compromising the quality of medicines and food products in the country,” the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said in a New Year message to Nigerians.

    The agency’s recall of fake antibiotics and investigation of the marketer and manufacturer made the headlines recently when the NAFDAC boss told journalists at a press briefing in Abuja that the case would be communicated to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Surveillance and Monitoring System (GSMS) as the drug might have gone beyond the Nigerian borders. This would alert international stakeholders to the risks posed by the fake medication, she added.

    The recall of the antibiotics, Deekins Amoxycillin 500mg capsules, batch number 4C639001, suspected to be substandard, followed reports of serious adverse reactions linked to their use.  Allegedly produced by Ecomed Pharma Ltd and marketed by Divine Kings Pharmaceutical Ltd, the medicine has a manufacturing date of March 2024 and an expiry date of February 2027.

    Adeyeye said the agency’s investigation and recall of the drug was prompted by a complaint from a hospital that had documented three cases of severe adverse reactions associated with the batch. According to her, the Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH), capsule, Divine King Pharmaceutical Ltd, had stated that the medication was manufactured by Ecomed Pharma Ltd.

    She said: “The manufacturer Ecomed Pharma Ltd in his statement claimed to have produced only twenty packets (20) of the affected batch number 4C639001 for the purposes of renewal of his registration.

    “He also claimed to have manufactured One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-One (1,961) packets, Batch No 4C639002.

    “However, Seven Hundred and Ninety (790) packs of Batch 4C639001 with manufacturing 03/2024 and Expiry Date 02/2027 were recalled, which he did not manufacture.”

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    So, who manufactured the suspected fake antibiotics and how did they enter the market? She said “The analysis is currently pending determination while the investigation is ongoing,” adding that the Quality Control and Production Managers had been invited for questioning. Also, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, which issues site licences, and the pharmacist in charge, have been notified. The agency should get to the bottom of the matter quickly.

     Adeyeye warned the public to avoid the suspected batch of Deekins Amoxycillin 500mg capsules. In particular, this warning should guide people who engage in self-medication.

    It is reassuring that she declared that NAFDAC has Prevent, Detect and Respond mechanisms, including WHO-certified methods to prevent fake, falsified and substandard medicines from flooding the market. However, the agency must intensify its efforts to prevent the circulation of such medicines.

    Obviously, such medicines pose a serious danger to public health, and should not be allowed to be in circulation in the country.  Furthermore, those who are involved in manufacturing and marketing  them should not only be tracked and arrested but also prosecuted and punished for a deterrent effect.  

    It is very concerning that there are people who unscrupulously make such medicines, and those who perhaps knowingly market them, reflecting low ethical standards and the desire for money. 

    Notably, Adeyeye highlighted the agency’s recent enforcement actions across the country in her New Year message to Nigerians. Among them, she said, the agency, on December 11, 2024 “destroyed expired, unregistered drugs worth N11 billion in Ibadan, Oyo State.” Also, in November 2024, the agency “seized N300m worth of fake medicines during a raid of Tyre Village, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State.”

    According to her, the agency destroyed “over N120b” worth of seized products in six months, July to December 2024, in the country’s six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. These included fake drugs and unwholesome foods.

    Ultimately, the situation demands greater vigilance on the part of the agency. The recall of the antibiotics is a positive action. The agency should ensure that available medications are safe and effective. 

  • Don cautions against antibiotics misuse in animals

    Project Director Cassava: Adding Value for Africa Phase II (CAVA II), Prof. Kolawole Adebayo, has warned against the misuse of antibiotics in livestock, saying it can also make humans resistant to drugs.

    The food and agriculture industry is relying on antibiotics to secure the supply of food and income to farmers. However, the use of antibiotics for food production has been a major driver of antibiotic resistance, which is  threatening food security.

    Adebayo explained that antibiotics residue in animals could affect humans who   eventually consume the animals.

    He said: “The situation is worsened when there is indiscriminate and incorrect use of antibiotics; each antibiotic has a period to spend in the animal before it is safe to eat by humans.When animals are sold for human consumption before it is safe to do so, the antibiotic will continue in the human blood stream. That could be dangerous.”

    He stressed the need for responsible use of antibiotics by farmers in animals to reduce the emergence of antibiotic resistance.

    According to experts, antibiotic resistance in animal is not only threatening animal health, but also affects human health.

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that overuse of antibiotics in animals is contributing to growing drug resistance in humans with serious health implications.

    WHO warned that farmers must be prevented from using powerful antibiotics on animals reared for food, because of the serious risks to human health.

    New guidelines from the global body advised farmers to stop using any antibiotics routinely to promote growth and prevent disease in animals that are otherwise healthy, a common practice in some parts of the world, including Asia and the US. Such routine use is banned in Europe, though campaigners fear the rules are sometimes flouted.

    WHO reported that in some countries, as much as 80 per cent of antibiotic use is on farm animals. Even in some countries where routine use for enhancing growth is banned, more antibiotics are used on animals than on humans.

  • WHO: the world is running out of antibiotics

    A report launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has shown that a serious lack of new antibiotics under development to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Most of the drugs currently in the clinical pipeline are modifications of existing classes of antibiotics and are only short-term solutions. The report found very few potential treatment options for those antibiotic-resistant infections identified by WHO as posing the greatest threat to health, including drug-resistant tuberculosis which kills around 250 000 people each year.

    “Antimicrobial resistance is a global health emergency that will seriously jeopardise progress in modern medicine,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “There is an urgent need for more investment in research and development for antibiotic-resistant infections including TB, otherwise we will be forced back to a time when people feared common infections and risked their lives from minor surgery.”

    In addition to multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, WHO has identified 12 classes of priority pathogens – some of them causing common infections such as pneumonia or urinary tract infections – that are increasingly resistant to existing antibiotics and urgently in need of new treatments.

    The report identifies 51 new antibiotics and biologicals in clinical development to treat priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens, as well as tuberculosis and the sometimes deadly diarrhoeal infection Clostridium difficile.

    Among all these candidate medicines, however, only 8 are classed by WHO as innovative treatments that will add value to the current antibiotic treatment arsenal.

    There is a serious lack of treatment options for multidrug- and extensively drug-resistant M. tuberculosis and gram-negative pathogens, including Acinetobacter and Enterobacteriaceae (such as Klebsiella and E.coli) which can cause severe and often deadly infections that pose a particular threat in hospitals and nursing homes.

    There are also very few oral antibiotics in the pipeline, yet these are essential formulations for treating infections outside hospitals or in resource-limited settings.

    “Pharmaceutical companies and researchers must urgently focus on new antibiotics against certain types of extremely serious infections that can kill patients in a matter of days because we have no line of defence,” says Dr Suzanne Hill, Director of the Department of Essential Medicines at WHO.

    To counter this threat, WHO and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) set up the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (known as GARDP). On 4 September 2017, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Wellcome Trust pledged more than €56 million for this work.

    “Research for tuberculosis is seriously underfunded, with only two new antibiotics for treatment of drug-resistant tuberculosis having reached the market in over 70 years,” says Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of the WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme. “If we are to end tuberculosis, more than US$ 800 million per year is urgently needed to fund research for new antituberculosis medicines”.

    New treatments alone, however, will not be sufficient to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance. WHO works with countries and partners to improve infection prevention and control and to foster appropriate use of existing and future antibiotics. WHO is also developing guidance for the responsible use of antibiotics in the human, animal and agricultural sectors.

  • Don warns against use of antibiotics

    A Professor of Medical Microbiology (Infections and Immunity) at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Tinuola Adebolu, has warned that most antibiotics can have side effects on the consumers.

    In their place, she recommended indigenous foods and herbs.

    Adebolu spoke while delivering the university’s 88th Inaugural lecture titled: “Mechanisms of adaptive immunity and the endless battle against diarrhoeagenic bacteria’ held at the institution’s main auditorium.

    She said: “Indigenous foods and herbs which are readily available in the community such as the ones researched into can be used in treating infection since they are foods that we normally consume with no side effect.  We should let food be our medicine. They should, however, be consumed as close to nature as possible, that is in their raw state.

    “Ogi, cheese whey, honey, garlic and beniseed have antibacterial, anti-diarrhoeatic, immunomodulatory and immunostimulatory effects that can be exploited in treating individuals suffering from bacterial diarrhoea, especially in rural communities where they might not have quick access to orthodox therapy.”

    Adebolu noted that raw “Ogi” used in making pap and other components are highly potent in curing diarrhea, which she said can help reduce the morbidity and mortality that accompany such illnesses, especially in children.”

    The lecturer also recommended same for urban dwellers who were likely to be exposed to bacterias causing diseases that “have developed resistance to some of the commonly available antibiotics” .

    Adebolu called for more research into the efficacy indigenous foods or raw materials in treating bacterial diarrhea.

    She warned against over dependence on vaccines produced abroad, since there are divergent strains and serotypes of diarrhoeagenic bacterial that are implicated in different regions of the world.

    FUTA Vice-Chancellor, Prof Joseph Fuwape, described Adebolu as a scholar who has contributed greatly to knowledge in her field.

     

  • Misuse of antibiotics increases resistance – Pharmacist

    Misuse of antibiotics increases resistance – Pharmacist

    Mr Osa Osaretin, an Abuja based pharmacist, has warned that indiscriminate use of antibiotics could lead to resistance and morbidity.

    He gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

    He described antibiotics as drugs used to treat bacterial infections, while resistance is a situation where an antibiotic loses its ability to kill the targeted bacteria.

    Osaretin also explained that drug resistance was where the bacterium is no more susceptible to the action of the drug.

    According to him, antibiotics are designed to target and disrupt certain biochemical processes or to destroy some cells, and by so doing kills the bacteria.

    He noted that resistance to antibiotics occurred due to genetic mutation that altered the targeted biochemical processes of the drug.

    “Overtime, the bacteria can understand the action of the drug and also design ways to protect itself.

    “One common way is for the bacteria to alter its cell wall structure so that the drug cannot penetrate,’’ he said.

    Osaretin identified under dosage or wrong dosage of antibiotics, abuse, misuse and indiscriminate use of drugs for the wrong purpose as causative factors to drug resistance.

    He also blamed non-compliance with prescribed dosage as well as duration of usage of the drug as another factor that contributes to drug resistance.

    The expert therefore advised patients to avoid self-medication, use drugs as prescribed and stop misuse of antibiotics, invest in research and development of new drugs in order to avoid complications.

  • Group raises alarm over use of antibiotics

    Group raises alarm over use of antibiotics

    The increasing rate of human resistance to antibiotic has been blamed on the consistent consumption of animals fed with antibiotics.

    This aptly explains why the theme for this year’s World Consumer Rights Day [WCRD] celebration coming up on Tuesday, March 15th has been chosen as ‘Antibiotics Off The Menu’.

    Consumer International [CI] will be campaigning with members around the world for fast food companies to make a global commitment to stop the sale of meat raised with the routine use of antibiotics important to human medicine.

    Last year, with the rise in food-related diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure etcetera, the theme was ‘Helping Consumers choose Healthy Diets’.

    Every year to mark the WCRD, the Consumer International chooses a theme to draw the attention of consumers and create awareness to the plight of people while urging government and other stakeholders to right the anomaly.

    Antibiotics resistance is rising to dangerously high levels in all parts of the world. The World Health Organisation [WHO] has warned that, without urgent action, we are heading for a post antibiotic era, in which important medicines will stop working and common infections and minor injuries can once again kill.

    Growing antibiotics resistance is driven by over use of antibiotics. Around half of the antibiotics produced globally are used in agriculture, with much of this being used to promote faster growth and to prevent, rather than treat, diseases.

    In Nigeria, the theme has been adapted to ‘Consumer Beware, Antibiotic Resistance Can Kill’, disclosed Mr. Abiodu Obimuyiwa, Deputy Director, Public Relations, Consumer Protection Council Nigeria [CPC].

    Speaking from his Abuja office in a telephone interview, Obimuyiwa lamented that consumers have developed resistance to some antibiotics due to the abuse and indirectly over consumption of it through chicken, turkey, beef and other animals that had been fed with antibiotics.

    It should be noted that most farmers feed animals with ‘Growth’ antibiotic and this eventually transcends to human beings when they eat such animal meat.

    The CPC Deputy Director PR said that the Council has lined up week-long activities to mark the celebration of the WCRD throughout the nation.

    However, the celebration is kicking off with visits to the mosques and churches where members of the public will be sensitised about the dangers inherent in building resistance to antibiotic.

    “There will be a media briefing on Tuesday and road shows in states where there are CPC zonal offices and a stakeholders’ forum on Thursday,” disclosed Obimuyiwa.

    Speaking on how he will rate the achievements of CPC in Nigeria so far, he said, “Without being immodest, I think we have done so much especially in the last two years. We have been able to tackle many multinationals, gotten MTN to comply with our directive within 24 hrs. Small companies have also started toeing the right line.”

    Recalling the latest incident, with the Abuja Electricity Disco, where a 10-year-old boy was electrocuted because of negligence, the DDPR said that the Council in collaboration with another government agency were able to bring the culprit to book as the culprit shall pay the boy’s family N10m compensation.

    “We receive numerous letters of commendation from members of the public whom we have resolved their complaints. Some people will say that we are not yet where we are supposed to be but we are getting there,” stressed the DDPR.

    Speaking further, he said, “Many people are aware of the agency and are of the opinion that the fear of the agency is the beginning of wisdom,” adding that “gradually consumers are beginning to take their positions as queens and kings in the market place.” But to that, I quickly interjected that Nigerian consumers are still far from that position of king in the market place.

    Meanwhile, according to the WHO, despite worldwide concern about the overuse of antibiotics, their use in agriculture is due to increase by two thirds by 2030, from 63,200 tons in 2010 to 105,600 in 2030.

    According to research findings from WHO, the use of antibiotics in farming is threatening to make some common ailments untreatable.

    Consumers have an important role to play in persuading food companies to make the changes that are needed to stop this global public health threat and protect our medicines for the future.

  • Don seeks to curb use of antibiotics in chicken

    A former Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, has urged the government to stop the rampant use of antibiotics to grow livestock, especially chicken.

    He said such practices could lead to health problems in humans upon consumption.

    Stopping the practice, he said, would be a big step towards securing food safety in meat products with regulation on overuse and misuse of antibiotics. According to him, government needs to implement a comprehensive set of regulations including banning of antibiotic use as growth promoters in the poultry industry. Not doing this will put lives of people at risk.

    He explained that people may be developing resistance to antibiotics, and falling prey to a host of otherwise curable ailments. Some of this resistance, he added, might be due to the large-scale unregulated use of antibiotics in the poultry industry.

    He said the poultry sector uses them as growth promoters for them to gain weight and grow faster.

    According to him, public health experts suspect that such rampant use of antibiotics in animals could be a reason for increasing antibiotic resistance.

    International experts said large-scale misuse and overuse of antibiotics in chicken could lead to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the chicken itself. These bacteria are then transmitted to humans through food or environment. Additionally, eating small doses of antibiotics through chicken could also lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans.

    Studies are being undertaken to ascertain the linkage between overuse of antibiotics in poultry farms and antibiotic resistance in humans. They found that resistance was very high against ciprofloxacin, doxycycline and tetracycline. These are the same antibiotics that were detected in the chicken samples. The problem is compounded by the fact that many essential and important antibiotics for humans are being used by the poultry industry.

    In the United States (US), which is one of the largest users of antibiotics for animal food production, more than two million people suffer from antibiotic resistance-related illnesses every year; with 23,000 of them succumbing  to the diseases. Annual healthcare costs due to antibiotic resistance are estimated to be as high as $20 billion.

    Global industry operators fear ban on antibiotic in animal feed could hamper poultry and meat sectors.

  • Antibiotics manufacturers forum set up in Enugu

    Antibiotics manufacturers forum set up in Enugu

    A pharmaceutical forum has been inaugurated in Enugu to produce a brand of antibiotics Amoxicillin Dispersible Tablet or AMX-DT, the aim being to make the medication readily available, especially in the Southeast.

    NAFDAC, the nation’s food and drugs agency, set up the forum in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO).

    Speaking at the inauguration, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Paul Orhii, said the objectives of the forum were to identify and mobilise interested indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturers to produce Amoxicillin DT to increase its availability.

    It was also to foster and accelerate the readiness of indigenous manufacturers to produce quality, safe, efficacious and affordable AMX-DT and to create an information sharing connection for indigenous manufacturers and programme managers on AMX-DT.

    The DG represented by Deputy Director, Technical Services and Focal Person, United Nations Commission on Life-Saving Commodities (UNCoLSC) for NAFDAC, Mr. Ali Ibrahim, disclosed that the agency was working with some indigenous manufacturers towards ensuring the production of AMX-DT in Nigeria.

    He stressed that the forum would provide a platform for more interested manufacturers who would benefit from technical assistance provided by NAFDAC.

    Orhii explained that because Amoxicllin DT has been identified as most effective broad-spectrum antibiotic used for bacterial infections of the ear, sinuses, throat, urinary tract, skin and abdomen, it would be especially useful in the treatment of children with bacterial pneumonia, which he said accounted for 17 percent death of children less than five years.

    He noted that studies showed that Amoxicillin was more efficacious in the treatment of children with severe cases of pneumonia compared to Co-trimoxazole.

    The NAFDAC DG who disclosed that pneumonia accounted for most neglected of the top childhood killer diseases in Nigeria, global map for pneumonia incidence shows Nigeria as the leader after India among the ten top countries mostly affected.

    In a remark, National Pneumonia Coordinator USAID Targeted States High Impact Project, Dr. Francis Ohanyido said that pneumonia was the number one killer of children under five in mostly Africa and Southeast Asia.

    He regretted that Africa accounted for 60% global deaths of under five of pneumonia cases just as he said it has negatively impacted on attainment of Nigeria’s MDG 4.

    He urged manufacturers of pharmaceutical companies to take advantage of the market in the country to go into production of AMX-DT which has been proven to be its drug and reduce the child mortality rate existing in the country.

     

  • Cut use of antibiotics in livestock, expert tells farmers

    The Dean Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, Prof Abiodun Adeloye, has called on farmers to reduce the antibiotics  given to their livestock.

    The advice follows the practice of giving substandard antibiotics to healthy livestock to force animals to put on weight faster.

    Speaking with The Nation, Adeloye said there was need to reduce the use of antibiotics in raising livestock to avoid major outbreaks of food-borne illness with resistance which were reported.

    Report also  said some people are falling sick from antibiotic-resistant infections, causing some deaths.

    He said livestock production is a key incubator of antibiotic resistance and that producers  of poultry and livestock  should commit them to the judicious use of medicines for the care and well-being of healthy animals.

    To this end, he said farmers would need to work with their veterinary doctors to fashion alternative strategies to keep their animals healthy.

    Supporting the global move to  phase out the use of some antibiotics in animals to curb the growing their resistance to human disease, Adeloye said drugs contribute to rise of untreatable bacteria in humans – though farmers say production would be ‘impossible’ without them.

    He noted that though between human and animal pathogens antibiotic resistance has not been  proven, there is a need  to take precautionary measures to ensure that antibiotics are only being used on sick animals.

    But farmers, who routinely add antibiotics to animal feed and water to avoid illness among livestock and boost growth rates believe  that if antibiotics for animals were banned, it would make production pretty much impossible. But it emerged that health authorities  do not know which antibiotics are being used in which animals and where the resistance problems  are.

    Meanwhile , the United  States   Food and Drug Administration has asked pharmaceutical firms to relabel their drugs to prevent them from being used in healthy animals.

    In the United States food supply, antibiotics are routinely fed to healthy livestock to enable them gain weight faster. As many as 23,000 Americans a year die from antibiotic-resistant infection.

    But it is unclear how much of the problem is related to meat. “Because all uses of antimicrobial drugs, in both humans and animals, contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance, it is important to use these drugs only when medically necessary,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a statement.