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Thursday, February 23, 2012

How A MRSA Strain Came To Flourish

How did MRSA, a persistent and deadly bug, become the drug-resistant bacteria vexing medical and public health experts?

The answer is in the genes. Researchers have pinpointed how a common strain found in livestock, called Staphylococcus aureus CC398 bounced from humans, when it was treatable, to animals where it became antibiotic resistant.

Drug-resistant staph infection has been linked to the over use of antibiotics in livestock. This is the first study to chart the genetic link between that and its consequences in humans.

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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great article.
70% of antibiotics dispersed in the US are to factory farmed animals raised for human consumption which means billions for the drug companies.
McDonald's is one of the few chain restaurants that refuses to sell this antibiotic laced meat.
As far as most of the meat sold in the grocery stores-don't buy it, it's pure garbage not fit for a dog.

Anonymous said...

It's going to become a pandemic. People really need to be aware of where their food comes from and the overcrowded and unsanitary conditions that food animals are kept in. The antibiotics that they have to give these animals to keep them healthy all end up in our bodies. Along with all the growth hormones. All of this is making us sick. If you don't stop eating meat for the sake of the animals do it for your own health. It won't matter soon because the estimates say that factory farming will not be sustainable past 2050 so everyone will be eating by then just genetically engineered plant foods.

Anonymous said...

raise your own food.

Anonymous said...

it's called evolution. mutation and adaptation.

Anonymous said...

Exactly 7:56 or atleast be more aware of what you are eating and try to buy pasture raised meats and free range chicken.
I've always thought the irony in those who wanted smoking banned in restaurants. They don't want to breath second hand smoke and all the while shovling mouthfuls of chemicals into their mouths-chemicals that have been proven to be harmful.

Anonymous said...

9:06. It's called money and profits. The more animals shoved into the least amount of space, given hormones to grow quicker and antibiotics to combat the rampant diseases also housed in the living conditions means hugh profits.