Underlying BiologyWhy are antibiotics important?

What is the impact of their overuse?

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Underlying Biologyvideo

What are antibiotics

How are antibiotics overused?

What can be done to solve the

problem?

Can the use in animals

affect humans?

What are the

problems with

overuse?

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What are antibiotics?

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What are antibiotics?

• Antibiotics are medications that either kill bacteria or prevent them from multiplying. They work only against bacteria, not the viruses that cause the majority of sore throats, colds, sinus infections, and bronchitis. Sometimes doctors can tell that your child has a bacterial infection just by examining him, but other times making a diagnosis requires analyzing a culture (grown from a sample taken with a cotton swab). The fact that your child has a fever, has colored mucus, or has been sick for more than a week does not help determine whether he has a bacterial infection or a viral infection. And these symptoms aren't necessarily reason enough to prescribe an antibiotic. For bacterial infections, antibiotics work quickly; symptoms usually improve dramatically within 24 to 48 hours of starting the medicine. Many times, children feel completely well shortly after beginning the antibiotic course. To really beat the bacterial infection, though, it's important that your child finish the entire course as prescribed -- stopping short could cause him to get sick again.

Source of information: http://www.parents.com/health/medicine/antibiotics/antibiotics/

What are Antibiotics?

What are antibiotics?• Antibiotics are medicines that treat infections caused by the approximately one

hundred bacterial species that cause illness. They have changed the way we treat many illnesses.

• Penicillin has been used to treat bacterial infections and prevent death from infectious diseases since the 1940s. This is just one of the many antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections. Antibiotics have added about ten years to the life expectancy of Canadians.

• There are two main categories of antibiotics:

• Narrow-spectrum antibiotics only kill a limited number of bacteria. They can target and kill the bacteria that are causing your illness without killing other, good bacteria. Narrow-spectrum antibiotics are usually prescribed when your doctor knows exactly what bacteria are causing your infection.

• Broad-spectrum antibiotics work against many different bacteria, including some bacteria resistant to narrower-spectrum antibiotics. They are prescribed when your doctor does not know exactly what bacteria are causing your infection or when your illness is caused by several different bacteria.

Source of information: http://antibioticawareness.ca/?page_id=14

What are Antibiotics

?

How are antibiotics overused?

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How are antibiotics overused?

If there is a chance that I have a bacterial infection, shouldn’t I take antibiotics just in case?

• Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them is not a good idea. Over 90% of acute upper respiratory infections, including sinusitis, are caused by viruses, in which case, antibiotics will not help. Additionally, over 95% of acute bronchitis cases (usually a cough with no sputum and a fever which lasts for 1-3 days) are due to viruses. The cough may continue for up to 10 days following an episode of bronchitis; however, antibiotics will only make a difference when a bacterial infection is present.

Source of information: http://antibioticawareness.ca/?page_id=14

How are antibiotics overused?

How are antibiotics overused?

• Antibiotics only treat infections caused by some bacteria. They do not work for illnesses like colds and flu which are caused by viruses. Most sore throats and acute respiratory infections, and many earaches, are also caused by viruses. The best way to get better from viruses is to rest, drink fluids, and stay home to avoid spreading the infection.

Source of information: http://antibioticawareness.ca/?page_id=14

How are antibiotics overused?

• Taking antibiotics for colds and other viral illnesses not only won't work, but it can also have dangerous side effects — over time, this practice actually helps create bacteria that are harder to kill.

How are antibiotics overused?How are antibiotics overused?

Source of information: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/antibiotic-overuse.html#

• We over-use and abuse antibiotics. Surveys have shown that many doctors still prescribe antibiotics far more often than necessary and a significant number of patients fail to complete a full course of antibiotics, sometimes saving tablets for later self-medication.

• A high proportion of patients still believe that antibiotics are effective against viruses.

https://www.ciwf.org.uk/media/5502183/alliance-to-save-our-antibiotics-briefing-25-june-2014.pdf

How are antibiotics overused?How are

antibioticsoverused?

What are the problems of overuse?

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Problems with Overuse?• Although antibiotics are generally safe, they may interact with other

medication you are taking and may cause a number of side effects. Disruption of the normal balance of bacteria in your body can lead to diarrhea or to a yeast infection. It is also possible to have an allergic reaction, which could be minor or severe.

• The increase in antibiotic resistance is another reason not to take antibiotics unless they are necessary. The more we use an antibiotic, the more likely it is that bacteria will adapt to it. This resistance can then be transferred to other bacteria. Some bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are resistant to several antibiotics and are often called “superbugs.” It is very difficult to treat these infections.

Source of information: http://antibioticawareness.ca/?page_id=14

What are the

problems of

overuse?

Why should antibiotics not be overused?• Resistance occurs when an antibiotic is no longer effective at killing or

limiting the growth of bacteria. It can occur naturally (innate ability or genetic mutation), or can be acquired through previous exposure to an antibiotic or through contact with another organism that is resistant (transfer of resistance).

• There are several ways that bacteria can resist the effects of antibiotics. Some bacteria develop the ability to neutralize the antibiotic before it can harm them, others can change the antibiotic attack site so it cannot affect the function of the bacteria, and still others can pump the antibiotic out of the cell or prevent the antibiotic from getting into the cell.

• Once bacteria are resistant, the infections they cause may not be cured or controlled by antibiotic treatment, or there may be few effective drug choices. In some cases, these illnesses can lead to disability or even death.

Source of information: http://antibioticawareness.ca/?page_id=14

What are the

problems of

overuse?

Why It's Harmful to Overuse Them

• Taking antibiotics for colds and other viral illnesses not only won't work, but it can also have dangerous side effects — over time, this practice actually helps create bacteria that are harder to kill.

• Frequent and inappropriate use of antibiotics can cause bacteria or other microbes to change so antibiotics don’t work against them. This is called bacterial resistance or antibiotic resistance. Treating these resistant bacteria requires higher doses of medicine or stronger antibiotics. Because of antibiotic overuse, certain bacteria have become resistant to even the most powerful antibiotics available today.

Source of information: http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/antibiotic-overuse.html#

What are the

problems of

overuse?

Can the overuse of antibiotics in animals affect humans?

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Can the overuse of antibiotics in animals affect humans?

• Many of the bacteria in food that cause disease are found in the intestinal tracts of animals or people. Use of antibiotics in food animals and people can select for resistant strains that end up in the food supply. Healthy food-producing animals commonly carry bacteria that can cause illness in humans, including Salmonella and Campylobacter. Humans are the reservoir for some food-borne bacteria, including Shigella and Salmonella Typhi (the cause of typhoid fever), and increasing resistance in these bacteria is predominately the consequence of antibiotic use in humans.

Source of information: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/kid's_health/14174/what_is_an_antibiotic_and_antibiotic_resistance_/557147

overuse

Can the overuse of antibiotics in animals affect humans?

• In livestock production, especially pigs and poultry, many antibiotics are used routinely for disease prevention or for the treatment of avoidable outbreaks of disease. This is because in intensive production, typically thousands of the animals are kept together indoors, in confined spaces, on their own faeces, where disease outbreaks are inevitable. Farmers are even permitted to use antibiotics which are critically important in human medicine (CIAs) on animals, and this use is actually increasing.

Source of information: http://www.ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/antibiotics-health-crisis/

Overuse

Can the overuse of antibiotics in animals affect humans?

Why are antibiotics used in food-producing animals?

• Antibiotics are used in food-producing animals for three major reasons. First, antibiotics are used to treat sick animals. Second, antibiotics are used in the absence of disease to prevent diseases during times when animals may be susceptible to infections. This use affects a larger number of animals, because it usually involves treating a whole herd or flock, which increases the likelihood of selecting for organisms that are resistant to the antibiotic. In these two examples, high doses of antibiotics are used for short periods of time. Third, antibiotics are commonly given in the feed at low doses for long periods to promote the growth of cattle, poultry, and swine. In the 1950s studies showed that animals given low doses of antibiotics gained more weight for a given amount of feed than untreated animals. Exactly how this occurs is unknown. This effect appears to be less effective or absent in animalproduction settings with good sanitation.

Does the use of antibiotics to promote growth pose a public health risk?

• The use of antibiotics to promote growth is widespread in food animal production. Antibiotics used for growth promotion increasethe pressure for bacteria to become resistant.

How does antibiotic use in animals differ from use in humans?

• In humans, antibiotics are usually used to treat sick individuals but can occasionally be used to prevent illness. Sick animals are sometimes treated individually, but often whole flocks or herds of animals are treated at once, including animals that are not ill. In humans, antibiotics are sometimes given to healthy persons to prevent specific infections; this type of use is much more common in animals. In humans, antibiotics are not given to promote growth, yet this is a major reason for using antibiotics in animals.

Source of information: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/kid's_health/14174/what_is_an_antibiotic_and_antibiotic_resistance_/557147

Overuse

What can be done to solve the problem?

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What can be done to solve the problem?• Use good hygiene! By washing your hands often and thoroughly with

soap and water, you are helping to prevent disease - and therefore the need for antibiotics (see Handwashing). Additionally, cooking meat thoroughly and handling food hygienically will help to prevent food-borne illnesses. Also, you should take antibiotics only when necessary (see When & how to take antibiotics).

Source of information: http://emerald.tufts.edu/med/apua/about_issue/what_can_be_done.shtml

What can be done to solve the

problem?

What can be done to solve the problem?• Stop Antibiotic Use on the Farm

• A full 80% of antibiotic use in the United States is for growth promotion and disease prevention in farm animals.[4] Resistant bacteria and resistance genes can be traced from the chickens to the chicken meat in grocery stores and, finally, to blood cultures in patients (The "farm to fork” phenomenon).[5] The practice of antibiotics for growth promotion on the farm was stopped in Denmark many years ago, with no apparent economic or animal health consequences.[6]

Source of Information: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/808814

What can be done to solve the

problem?

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Data Source: http://www.ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/antibiotics-health-crisis/

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Concerns about VRE ( vancomycin resistant enterococci) being transmitted from farm animals to humans were a major reason for the EU ban on the growth promoters. In Germany, the incidence of VRE on poultry meat fell from 100% in 1994 to 25% in 1997, and in faecal samples taken from people in the community it fell from 12% in 1994 to just 3% in 1997. In Denmark, VRE prevalence in poultry fell from 82% in 1995 to less than 5% in 1998 and in the Netherlands VRE prevalence fell sharply between 1997 and 1999: from 80% to 31% for broilers, from 34% to 17% for pigs and from 12% to 6% for humans.

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Data Source: http://www.ciwf.org.uk/our-campaigns/antibiotics-health-crisis/

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Data Source: http://www.smarthealthtalk.com/antibiotic-resistance--organic-meats.html

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Data source: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19488