The January, 2012 newsletter for the Save Antibiotics campaign includes the latest news on a new FDA measure, a new story about Ruby, a baby affected by foodborne illness, and an update on our growing group of 43,800 supporters.
FDA Takes Measures to Preserve Affectiveness of Cephalosporins
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an updated rule that will limit the uses of cephalosporins in food animal production. This restriction is a victory for human health as it will help ensure this critically important class of antibiotics will continue to work to treat life-threatening infections today and in the future. Click for the press release with more information on the new cephalosporin rule.
If you have not done so already, please take a moment and tell the FDA to finalize the cephalosporin rule to keep these critical drugs protected from overuse and misuse on industrial farms.
Ruby's Story: A Family Affected by Foodborne Illness
Normally an active and happy baby, Ruby started to show signs of illness, including a fever, little interest in eating, lethargy, and constant diarrhea. After several visits to doctors' offices and no sign of improvement, urinalysis and blood tests were ordered. The next day, Ruby’s mom answered a phone call, and the nurse on the other end said, “Get Ruby to the hospital now! She has bacteria in her blood and needs antibiotics … Take her there immediately!”
It turns out Ruby had acquired a strain of Salmonella Heidelberg from eating ground turkey. The strain was resistant to several antibiotics. Luckily, her doctor chose to treat her with an appropriate cephalosporin. Had the strain Ruby acquired been resistant to this medication, her story might be one of death rather than survival.
Read Ruby’s full story as told from her mother's point of view.
Note: This story was shared on behalf of STOP Foodborne Illness, one of our campaign collaborators.
Our Supporters Continue to Grow
We have recruited over 43,800 supporters interested in ending the overuse and misuse of antibiotics in food animal production. More than 21,200 supporters like us on Facebook and another 20,500 follow us on Twitter.
Thanks so much for your support and please continue to spread the word to your networks!
If you are a blogger and need more information on the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming, please contact Josh Wenderoff.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today introduced the Preventing Antibiotic Resistance Act, a bipartisan bill that would eliminate certain antibiotic-related practices that contribute to the rise of drug-resistant bacteria and endanger human health. The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jack Reed (D-RI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA).
More infoThis bibliography lists the latest published scientific and economic literature concerning the contribution of routine antibiotic use in food animals to the growing public health crisis of human antibiotic resistance. Research on how antibiotic use in food animal production contributes to the growing health crisis of antibiotic resistance dates back more than 30 years.
More infoPew Charitable Trusts today applauded Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Susan Collins (R-ME), for introducing the Antimicrobial Data Collection Act, which would require the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to report more information on the annual sales of antibiotics used among industrial farm animals. The bipartisan bill would also give the agency a deadline to finalize policies proposed last year to eliminate the use of antibiotics for growth promotion purposes in meat production.
More info"As a nation, we need to exercise greater care with our use of antibiotics, in both humans and animals, so that these medications remain effective in treating serious bacterial infections."
More infoCopyright(c) 1996-2012 The Pew Charitable Trusts. All Rights Reserved.
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