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Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: Pigs and People Killers on the Loose!

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are on the increase, and also on the loose! At one time they were restricted to hospitals, such as MRSA. People talk about the MRSA virus, yet it is not a virus but a bacterium that has become resistant to antibiotics. The term actually stands for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus areus: a bacterium that is resistant to the methicillin antibiotic that was once used to kill it.

However, there are other bacteria with less press than MRSA, but that nevertheless demonstrate how bacteria that have developed a resistance to antibiotics are spreading. And such a spread is bad news for all of us. It begins in Denmark.

ESBL is short for Extended-Spectrum Beta Lactamase, and it is an enzyme first discovered in the 1980s in the intensive care units of hospitals, a bit similar to MRSA. The term does not refer to a bacterium as such, but to an enzyme generated by a bacterium as a suit of armor against the attacking antibiotics that are intended to kill it. The bacterium in question is Klebsiella, variants of which are now referred to as K.

This bacterium is at this moment killing humans and pigs in Denmark, and infections caused by the Klebsiella bacterium have increased by around 50% in Denmark over the past year. Why Denmark? Who knows, or perhaps its only because the study was carried out there, and it is happening throughout the agricultural world? In fact the K bacterium is responsible for the death of many victims of cancer and liver diseases. Why is this? Why is it that bacteria such as Klebsiella and Staph areus can develop this resistance to penicillin, methicillin and other antibiotics commonly used to deal with them?

The answer lies in enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that allow specific biochemical reactions to occur within our bodies, and without enzymes we could not live. Now it appears that they are causing our deaths. Some bacteria have found a means of manufacturing enzymes that prevent certain antibiotics from biochemically reacting with them - and hence killing them. Why should this happen?

The logical way is for bacteria to have been under constant bombardment from antibiotics, and eventually figuring out a way to defeat them just as the Greeks figured out the Trojan Horse after 10 years. Usually this degree of exposure to antibiotics would be impossible for them to achieve before they were killed. However, they have achieved it, and here is how.

Livestock are provided with feed laced with antibiotics. The purpose of this is twofold: to make sure that do not get infected with bacteria, and also to make them fatter. Antibiotics are particularly effective with swine to make them fatter, so that your bacon and ham are the better. This can also help to keep the price down, which is a factor we shall shortly discuss. However, keep in mind that livestock are fed antibiotics on a very regular basis.

When you eat your bacon, ham or pork you ingest these antibiotics. They are living organisms like the bacteria are, but chemicals, and so do not die when the animals are slaughtered. Nor does cooking destroy them, so you are continually ingesting antibiotics and what do bacteria need I order to learn how to make these protective enzymes? Yes, youve got it! Learn from The Enemy!

Klebsiella is not a common bacterium, and is generally only relevant in hospital intensive care units, where they can cause serious infections in the same way as MRSA. As already stated, they are up 50% in the past year because this continual absorption of antibiotics you get when eating pork, bacon and other farm animal meat has allowed the bacteria in your gut to learn how to produce the ESBL enzyme that protects them from these same antibiotics. They dont even have to the exact same, because they dont have to be too clever to figure out protection against other antibiotics.

The problem is that this that it has now been found that many other bacteria have developed the same ability to defeat antibiotics in the same way. E. Coli is a prime example, and has mutated to form a new form of the enzyme that has been named the CTX-M enzyme. This is more worrying since E. coli is much more common that Klebsiella: most have heard of E. coli, but Klebsiella?

Not only that but is now been established that we have only scratched the surface. Unbeknown to us, many other bacteria in our bodies have been quietly using this low level exposure to antibiotics in our food to make themselves immune to the traditional treatments. One is Salmonella: imagine a form of salmonella that cannot be treated. Well, I have news for you: it is here! And there are others, but so far only causing urinary tract infections, colitis and wound infections, particularly in hospitals.

What can we do about this? We know how they do it, but how do we stop them? The reason for this question is that eventually you can foresee every bacterium becoming immune to the treatments that previously killed them. What then the human race? The answer to the problem is pretty obvious, but money talks! About 70% of all antibiotics produced by the pharmaceutical giants are used in animal feeds. I bet that surprises you! Do you think there is any chance of them stopping voluntarily?

You bet your life they wont (and it might cost that if they dont). It would have to be done through legislation, and guess what? Your congressmen are pretty much beholden to the large corporations for their financing, and the FDA doesnt have a great track record in preventing commercial food additives - even antibiotics - reaching your table.

What about fruit and vegetables? Surely they are OK to eat? They were, until antibiotic-treated manure began to be used for growing vegetables, and now your tomatoes and zucchini contain a low level of antibiotics: low enough not to kill the bacteria in your body, but high enough to prompt them to protect themselves from them. Once these bacteria sleeping in your gut decide to awake, then you will have serious problems. So, will anybody do anything about it?

Nope, this is a problem that nobody in authority wants to deal with because it is a hot potato. It is doubtful if anything will be done about it, but who knows? Perhaps beef can be raised on grass, and pigs fed antibiotic-free feed. Dont think eating chicken is the answer, because they can make you resistant to Synercid, the antibiotic used to kill the super-bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. Even George Orwell could not have written this script!

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