"Brian Sandle" wrote in message
...
Gordon Couger wrote:

"Brian Sandle" wrote in message
snip
It also advocates removal of antibiotic resistance genes from GM
constructs used in the production of food, but falls short of
calling for their removal in animal feed, even though there is
growing evidence that bacteria can pass from farm animals to
human beings - E. coli 0157 is a well known example.

There a large number of diseases that are transmittable from farm
animals to
man. Anthrax, bruculosis, tuberculosis, leptospiris, a half dozen
parasites
and flu often passes from birds to pigs to man just to name a few. E.
coli
O157 is not normally transmitted to people unless they are raised in
isolation from livestock a practice that has only been common in the
last 50
years. Any one that is around livestock on a regular basis does not
catch
it.

If they are able to build resistance. Maybe it used to be part of infant
mortality.

I have never heard of any cases of infant mortality from diseases from
animals. In the 50 years we have been feeding animal anibiodics infant
mortalty has decreased substantialy.

We feed the livestock a lot more antibiotics as growth promoters that
would
cause resistance more than any possible unproved transfer from feed. We
have
been doing for 50 years with out a problem and they still are antsy
about
it.

You can find antibiotic resistant bacteria in the most remote places of
the
world.

If we were going to create an antibiotic resistant e. coli O157 the
antibioses we feed cattle are lot more worrisome.

The antibiotics provide the selective force and the bacteria can pick up
resistance genes from the food, since they are constantly present.

That's right but 50 years of use haven't produced any resistant bacteria
problems in humans that can be traced to the farm. We do have animal
diseases that are resistant to antibiotics but they don't seem to be traced
to feeding either. Hospitals, jails and other areas where people are
confined and treated with anybodies produce problems. Many of the problem
are created by people not completing the regime of antibiotics in disease
like tuberculosis,malaria and other diseases that take long term treatment.

Most of the diseases that humans can catch from livestock have been
eradicated or nearly eradicated for both the human health point of view and
economic point of view. The main disease we have problems with antibiotic
resistance is shipping fever in cattle. It is not shared by humans and it
symptoms are similar to a cold but the very low lung capacity of cattle
quickly turn into a very serious problem with any secondary infection.

The genetics of e. coliO157 indicate it has been around hundreds of years
and can be found in every corner of the world. In 50 years of feeding
antibiotics and using antibiotics it should have developed resistance if it
was going to.

Some classes or antibodies are not allowed for use in livestock out of
concern that they will cause a problem. They are limited in humans as well
to multiple antibiotic resistant infections.

Antibiotic resistance is real problem but the antibiotic restraint gene that
is used in plants is for tetracycline one of the most used antibiotic in
livestock. It is far more likely that bacteria will acquire it from the use
of the antibiotic in cattle or from the may tetracycline resistant bacteria
in wild life and water ways. There is a substantial amount of antibiotics
that go though the sewage treatment plant and are spread in our rivers. The
relative risk of the unproved speculated risk of an antibiotic resistant
gene causing a problem compared to the real problems of antibiotics in the
environment are like trying to drain Lake Michigan with a tea cup. If it did
happen you couldn't see it for all the other exposures that bacteria have to
tetracycline.

Gordon

Gordon