M6.6: Use of Antibiotics

Antibiotic Resistance 101: How Antibiotic Misuse on Factory Farms Can Make you Sick. 
It is scary to think that antibiotic resistance from factory farms is even happening! The most interesting thing is that these antibiotic resistant strains would not be resistant if not used for non-therapeutic reasons. This article really helps open my eyes about the world of antibiotic resistance and what we can do to avoid exposure to these resistances, such as buying organic or looking for labels that say it has been raised without antibiotics. I remember the outbreak on Foster Farms chickens, but didn't know much about it. Since then, I don't think anyone in my family has bought anything branded with Foster Farms. The USA should also ban use of non-therapeutic antibiotics from farms just like the European Union. It looks like much of the bans listed are done through legislation, the FDA, and the USDA. They better get a move on it!

Nearby Livestock May Raise "Superbug" Risk.
MRSA is already really difficult to treat with antibiotics, and having it be antibiotic resistance should ring some major alarms for legislation. While there was no cause and effect relationship found, it is obvious that one of the major reasons is those who were directly exposed to livestock. This article makes me angry at the world around us. We have to ask the farmers if the risk is really worth it to them.

Scientists Discover that Antimicrobial Wipes and Soap May be Making you (and Society) Sick.
I have heard the use of constant hand sanitizer use is bad because it kills all (both good and bad) bacteria. This is very similar to the problem with antimicrobial soaps. Besides the harmful effects of triclosan, it is important to note that the more antimicrobial wipes we use - the less resistance we build towards a particular bacteria, thus getting sick more often. Triclosan, on another note, is extremely harmful to our environment and therefore, us. We should be more wary of the products we are using. One thing this article makes point of is that there is just not enough research yet on antimicrobial soaps. While it is a hard thing to study, more research should be done.

Antimicrobials in Hospital Furnishings: Do they Help Reduce Healthcare-Associated Infections?
I didn't know hospitals used antimicrobial hospital furnishings. While I see the superficial benefits of using antimicrobial hospital furnishings, these can definitely be bad for the environment and the population in the long term. There are so many routes infection can spread with such a long history. There are so many ways to disinfect, clean, and sterilize the hospital environment. The products that include the antimicrobials, also known as biocides, that can be a variety of things that kill unwanted bacteria. However, these can be in forms that are harmful to humans such as preservations. Just like the previous article, some hospital furnishings contain triclosan, which is toxic to our surrounding environment. I think it is best for there to be a way to regularly test the hospital environment and furnishings for effectiveness and harm on the society.