Re: [pyrnet] cnn article

["Tracy Bassett" <espinay@bigpond.com>]

<< Report: Drug Resistant Bacteria in Chicken >> Janice

Ditto Mitzi's comment <g>.

Here in Australia at least a lot of research is taking place in agricultural
circles into the use of probiotics instead of antibiotics in meat
production.  This can't happen too soon for my way of thinking.  Overuse of
antibiotics in food production and overprescription to treat human/animal
ills, along with the use of things such as anti-bacterial soaps and cleaners
results only in the creation of more and more resistant bacteria and the
destruction of good bacteria which keeps the 'bad' in check.  'Bad' bacteria
occurs naturally in the environment, and kept in balance does no harm.  It
is when we tamper with nature and put things out of balance that we begin to
have problems such as this.  We can all do our bit to preserve the balance
by not being overzealous with a need for everything to be 'sterile' (hot
soap and water and plain vinegar make very effective cleaning products.  I
even have the scientific data on that for people who want it!) and by not
reaching for or insisting on antibiotics every chance we get.  Learning
about what is happening in the meat industry and and 'shopping with our
feet' is another.  Some more reading:
http://www.unitedpoultrygrowers.com/drug_foul.htm
http://www.iatp.org/EatWell/orgResults.cfm
http://www.keepantibioticsworking.com/pages/home.cfm

Tracy Bassett
Murrumbateman, Australia
espinay@bigpond.com