On 24 Jul 2003 14:12:56 GMT, Brian Sandle
wrote:

Jim Webster wrote:

"Brian Sandle" wrote in message
As I said 3 to 14% of hospital admissions result from prescribed drug
adverse effects.

nothing to do with it in this case, a very sick man cannot be expected to be
able to cope with some drugs.

So you want a greater range in the arsenal.

Of course, and it's happening as we speak. Those damned multinational
drug companies

You don't want them getting
disabled by resistance.

No, and you don't want to get run over at the crosswalk, either.

So they switched to the
antiseptic wash

Which they probably use anyway, linezolid or not?

I suppose they will claim linezolid is no worse than any other, but it is
better to have more in the arsenal isn't it? Then say do genetic testing
and do not prescribe by trial and error. Try not to eliminate your choices
by feeding everybody with GM antibiotic resistance genes, especially when
we know that DNA is not fully deactivated by digestion, and is also
getting to the unborn.

what total twaddle. As bacteria have far more antibiotic resistant genes
than GM crops,

They bacteria may have a few more types, if they have been selected by
anitbiotics, but the crop has it in every cell, so far
more altogether, and constantly present.

But by your own strange analogy bacteria have them all in their
"memory banks" What's new? You eat bacteria with every mouthful. And
they are full of every conceivable resistance gene.

and vastly more bacteria are ingested and digested that GM
food, (as everyone swallows bacteria)

Now from North America the corn is grown patch work in fields and all is
mixed. So unless North Americans go to special trouble to get non-GM they
will be getting an antibiotic resistance gene every second cell of that
food they eat. Same with soy.

And same number of cells of bacteria with every resistance gene ever
imagined in their "memory banks".

then any antibiotic resistant transfer
occuring through the mechanism you suggest will be happening constantly and
at a high frequency now

I suggested the gene packages jumping from the GM food to bacteria, yes.

They are jumping between bacteria all the time.
And they are far more potent carriers.

You say it will be happening at a high frequency now,

Yes.

and any GM addition will be a trivial irrelevence.

you say. I and several others say we do not want any GM addition we want
the whole GM contribution brought right back to zero.

Well, yes, that's what some want, but for no demonstrated, logical
reason.

Stop using antibiotic resistance markers.

They have, haven't they?.

The argument that we are using
so many that a few more is of no consequence is as silly as saying another
drink will be of no consequence to a driver who is already drunk. We do
not want any drivers drunk in the first place.

Your analogy, although good, is based on a flawed premise. There is
infinitely more resistance genes in the bacteria we swallow than in
any amount of GE food we might eat. And then only a minute proportion
of the relatively tiny amount of ingested GM genes will survive the
gut.