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Poster in Dec 03, 2022 15:06:28

Brazil's livestock farmers may be overusing antibiotics, animal charities say

Brazil's livestock farmers may be overusing antibiotics, animal charities say

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Animal breeders in Brazil may be overusing antibiotics, a new report from the World Animal Protection charity said on Thursday (Nov 29, 2022), citing the results of water tests carried out in rivers near industrial livestock farms in the south of the country.

Evidence from water samples collected in 2021 and detailed for the first time in Brazil indicates that rivers near pig farms in the state of Paraná had a diversity of so-called antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) compared to water taken from the same. - River springs.

Brazil is a major supplier of beef, chicken and pork to the world market, exports to dozens of countries, and is China's main trading partner.

Similar water tests have been conducted in the United States, Canada, Spain and Thailand, according to a new report by World Animal Protection.

“The findings suggest that multidrug-resistant bacteria from animal husbandry are circulating through the food chain, with negative implications for human health and the environment,” the charity said in a statement sent to Reuters.


ABPA, which represents Brazilian poultry and pork companies, did not immediately reply to a comment request.

Scientists have for decades argued that the misuse or overuse of antibiotics in industrial livestock farming has contributed to the global spread of super bacteria.

The World Health Organization contends “antimicrobial resistance is one of the top ten global public health threats facing humanity.”

An estimated 75% of global antibiotic production is used in livestock farming including chicken and pigs, World Animal Protection said.

By 2050, 10 million people may die each year from infections resistant to antibiotic treatment, up from 1.27 million currently, the charity said.

In the United States, an analysis of pork cuts sold in supermarkets found 80% of the bacteria isolated from samples resisted at least one type of antibiotic, the report said.

Source:
Online/SZK

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