antibiotic resistance

You don't want to run into methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria. A potential new antibiotic could help fight this bug.

Scientists Hit Antibiotic Pay Dirt Growing Finicky Bacteria In Lab

12:39pm January 08, 2015

by Richard Harris

A natural compound kills germs that have become resistant to antibiotics, researchers say. If it works in humans, it could help combat diseases like tuberculosis.

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Fecal transplant pills help patients avoid invasive procedures while restoring healthy gut bacteria.

Frozen Poop Pills Fight Life-Threatening Infections

11:46am October 15, 2014

by Nancy Shute

The antibiotic-resistant bacteria C. difficile can be deadly. Fecal transplants often can cure infections but have a major ick factor. Capsules of fecal matter deliver the cure more politely.

Young broilers nibble feed at a chicken farm in Luling, Texas. The Food and Drug Administration has issued new guidance on how drug companies label antibiotics for livestock.

Drug Companies Accept FDA Plan To Phase Out Some Animal Antibiotic Uses

8:07pm December 11, 2013

by Dan Charles

The Food and Drug Administration Wednesday advised companies to change the labels on their drugs to make it illegal for livestock producers to use drugs for "growth promotion" or "feed efficiency." The announcement is the latest step in a long-running effort by the FDA to reduce the use of antibiotics in agriculture.

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Health & Safety

Antibiotic-Resistant Bugs Turn Up Again In Turkey Meat

5:29pm November 18, 2013

Turkey producers contend that they use antibiotics judiciously to help keep their flocks healthy.

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Piglets in a pen on a hog farm in Frankenstein, Mo.

Science
Arts

Antibiotic Use On The Farm: Are We Flying Blind?

5:26pm November 18, 2013

by Dan Charles

No one knows exactly how farmers use antibiotics. Many public health experts say the government should collect and publish detailed information because antibiotic-resistant bacteria are an increasingly urgent problem. But many farm groups are opposed.

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These pigs, newly weaned from their mothers, are at their most vulnerable stage of life. They're getting antibiotics in their water to ward off bacterial infection.

Are Antibiotics On The Farm Risky Business?

5:25pm November 18, 2013

by Dan Charles

Farmers give antibiotics routinely to pigs, beef cattle and poultry. They say the drugs help keep animals healthy and get them to market faster. Others say this practice practically guarantees that bacteria will develop resistance to these antibiotics more quickly, endangering human lives and the long-term viability of the drugs.

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Craig Rowles raises pigs near Carroll, Iowa. The piglets will enter and leave this room as a group.

Why Are Pig Farmers Still Using Growth-Promoting Drugs?

7:42pm November 04, 2013

by Dan Charles

There's a curious twist in the contentious debate over feeding antibiotics to animals in order to make them grow faster. Evidence suggests using antibiotics for growth promotion, at least among pigs, doesn't even make economic sense. But some pork producers don't believe it.

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