The FARM BuzzA new study predicts that over 39 million people could die between now and 2050 due to antibiotic-resistant infections, which equates to approximately three deaths every minute. This statistic represents a projected 70% increase in AMR-related deaths between 2022 and 2050.
What Is Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)?
Antimicrobials are any medicines used to prevent or treat diseases in humans, animals, or plants. These include antibiotics, antivirals, antiparasitics, and antifungals. While the terms antimicrobials and antibiotics are often used interchangeably, bacterial resistance typically refers to antibiotic resistance.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microorganisms responsible for infections adapt, rendering antimicrobials ineffective, and making common infections more difficult, or even impossible, to treat. This, in turn, increases the risk of severe illnesses or diseases, as well as the risk of disability or death.
“The World Health Organization says the threat of such antimicrobial resistance not only makes common infections harder to treat but makes medical interventions, such as chemotherapy and Caesarean sections, more risky.”
Alarming Predictions for AMR-Related Deaths by 2050
AMR has been a major public health concern for many years. This study, which was carried out by a substantial team of researchers in the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance Project, focused on AMR trends worldwide and across a sizable amount of time. They looked at 520 million datasets and discovered that over a million antimicrobial-related deaths occurred between 1990 and 2021.
AMR-related deaths have continued to increase since that time, and researchers surmise they are expected to continue rising. The authors of the study attribute this growth in AMR to the significant overuse of antibiotics by doctors and hospitals. “Increasingly, we’re seeing that antibiotics are being overused or misused, which just puts more pressure on bacteria to become more resistant as time goes on,” said lead author and assistant professor of clinical medicine at UCLA, Kevin Ikuta.
As a result, the authors strongly recommend employing prevention strategies to reduce AMR like vaccines, access to clean water, and new antibiotic development when possible, instead of using antibiotics as a one-stop solution even when it is not necessary. This will drastically reduce deaths related to AMR.
Antibiotic Overuse in Animal Agriculture and Its Global Impact
One major aspect of antibiotic resistance and the devastating effect it can have on humans is surprisingly absent from the new study. Readers noticed how the authors studiously avoided mentioning animal agriculture and its significant impact on anti-microbial resistance.
Antibiotics play numerous roles in animal agriculture, and they all contribute to worsening AMR because they are drastically overused. Many animals receive drugs to treat or prevent illness. Antibiotics are also used to control the spread of disease in large groups of animals.
One of the most concerning practices is the use of antibiotics to accelerate animal growth. Healthy animals are dosed with these medicines even though they show no sign of illness. This is an unnecessary use that only serves to increase profits for those involved in animal agriculture. Animal agriculture’s policies are a gross example of overusing antibiotics that will only serve to increase human deaths in the long run. Animals who have been treated with antibiotics become carriers of AMR.
How Resistant Bacteria Spread from Farms to People
The newly resistant bacterial infections can easily be passed to humans via animal manure used as fertilizer. Food crops absorb the manure and then introduce the AMR into the food chain. Significant amounts of resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues enter the soil and groundwater through animal waste. Resistant bacteria can also pass to humans through direct contact. In addition to all these facts, AMR bacteria can transfer resistance to other bacteria. All these scenarios pose serious health risks that only worsen with time.
Solutions for Reducing Antibiotic Use in Animal Farming
Every time an antibiotic is used, it allows bacteria to increase its resistance. This is a natural process that can only be curbed by limiting the use of antibiotics. Farmers should work to keep their animals healthy without overusing antibiotics. While we want to see a world where animals aren’t exploited for food, disease prevention strategies to reduce AMR-related issues like biosecurity measures, optimal stocking densities, vaccinations, adequate housing, and parasite controls are vital for current situations.
The Six R’s of Responsible Antibiotic Use in Farming
Antibiotics should only be used when necessary, and farmers should adhere to the six R’s to ensure antibiotics are used responsibly:
• Right Veterinary Diagnosis
• Right Animal
• Right Antibiotic
• Right Dose
• Right Duration
• Right Storage and Duration
Antibiotic use in animal agriculture has already been banned in Europe. Other countries should follow suit to decrease their contributions to this dangerous problem.
The Vegan Alternative: Eliminating Animal Agriculture to Fight AMR
Of course, the true answer to fighting antibiotic resistance lies in eliminating the use of animals for food entirely. If everyone around the world made this impactful change, we would eradicate animal agriculture’s impact not just on AMR but on numerous other levels. The positive impact of a cruelty-free, vegan world would be billions of lives saved—for humanity and the other living beings with whom we share the planet. That’s why we strive for a world where plant-based diets are the norm, resulting in improved human health, easing the climate crisis, and saving the lives of exploited animals.
The FARM Buzz
