Opinion: FDA and USDA need to get on board with the CDC about reducing antibiotic use in raising animals for food
The overuse of antibiotics and other antimicrobials in raising farm animals for food may not be equivalent to Covid-19 and climate change as threats to human health, but it is right up there. This practice contributes to antibiotic-resistant infections, which are now a leading cause of death worldwide.
The annual death toll from antimicrobial resistance could reach 10 million by 2050 — more people than currently die from cancer. Over- and misuse of antibiotics has allowed infections to mutate and resist the drugs necessary to treat countless life-threatening conditions. A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the U.S. has lost progress combating antimicrobial resistance since 2020 due, in large part, to the Covid-19 pandemic. The report emphasizes, “This setback can and must be temporary.”
