Jerrid Cunningham
I have always wondered about the argument over antibiotics being used in meats. I had always heard that it was just to fatten up the cattle, and that none of the medicines could affect the consumer of the products. After reading an article by Ethan Huff, I found out that the USDA had gone in front of a committee and announced that by using antibiotics in cattle, for treatment of illness, or growing purposes, could lead to antibiotic resistance later down the road with the people that consume the antibiotic injected meat. Why have we all been told for so many years that there was no harm with injecting cattle with antibiotics for growth, if there has been signs that people are building up a resistance to other antibiotics due to the injections in the meat?
As a member of agriculture, I have always agreed with the injections, because I had never been told different about the outcome of the meat. According to Des Moines Register report, John Clifford, who is the chief veterinarian for the USDA told the committee that the use of antibiotics in animals does lead to some cases of antimicrobial resistance among humans and in the animals. I do not agree with the injection of antibiotics in cattle, for growth purposes. I believe that the animal should grow at a normal rate, not be pumped full of drugs that in the end are hurting the consumer in the end. I do believe in the use of antibiotics in cattle that are sick. If the animal needs treatment, that’s fine give them the dosage that they need and that is all.
Throughout Mr. Huff’s article he says that most conventional livestock operations are highly unsanitary, and the animals are raised within confined animal feeding operations. I do not agree with this statement. Yes there might be a few operators that run a filthy operation, but not all feedlots are run like the feedlot description in his article. Before you go saying that most of anything is being run bad, you should go around and check multiple operations.
I found Mr. Huff’s words interesting, when he said that excessive use of antibiotics for both treating illness, and weight building has lead to the emergence of “super” bacteria that are resistant to many of the traditional antibiotics that Americans have been using for years. I could see how this information could be important. I feel that the antibiotics need to be administered correctly, and that the use of weight building antibiotics should be banned.
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