Does antibiotic use in farmed animals pose a risk to human health? – Yes

Infectious diseases expert Peter Collignon supports tight control over food-production practices

Worldwide, increases in deaths and morbidity in humans are associated with rapid increases in rates of antibiotic resistance in bacteria. This problem is escalating more quickly in gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli. On occasion, no antibiotics work. As no new antibiotic classes are in the development pipeline for gram-negative bacteria, we need to preserve the antibiotics we have for as long as possible.1