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Wednesday, May 01, 2013

The Salt

Antibiotic-Resistant Bugs Turn Up Again In Turkey Meat

A truckload of live turkeys arrives at a Cargill plant in Springdale, Ark., in 2011. Most turkeys in the U.S. are regularly given low doses of antibiotics.

May 1, 2013 Consumer Reports found that turkey meat that came from birds raised without antibiotics was significantly less likely to harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria, compared with meat from conventional turkeys that were given antibiotics. But turkey producers contend that they use antibiotics judiciously to help keep their flocks healthy.

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

The Salt

In Meat Tests, More Data Tying Human Illness To Farm Antibiotics

April 17, 2013 A new analysis of government data finds that antibiotic-resistant bacteria that cause human illness were widespread in supermarket meat samples tested. The implications are significant: that the bacteria had become resistant to antibiotics back at the farm because farmers were overusing them.

Summary

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

The Salt

A Battle Over Antibiotics In Organic Apple And Pear Farming

Organic apples hang from trees in an orchard in Forest Range, Adelaide Hills, South Australia.

April 10, 2013 Both fruits are vulnerable to a nasty disease called fire blight that can devastate orchards. So organic labeling standards allow for antibiotics to be used on apple and pear trees. That exemption is set to end in 2014 — but growers say they need a little more time.

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Monday, February 11, 2013

The Salt

Pig Manure Reveals More Reason To Worry About Antibiotics

Pigs at a farm in Beijing peer out at visitors. Half of all the pigs in the world live in China.

February 11, 2013 Manure from pig farms doesn't just contain residues of antibiotics used in livestock. It also carries high concentrations of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a new study of Chinese pig farms finds. And researchers say "it's a global problem."

Summary

Monday, January 14, 2013

Shots - Health News

How Long Does It Take To Shake A Cough?

A health poster from World War II carries a message that still rings true.

January 14, 2013 People expect coughs to last about half as long as they actually do. This misconception may lead patients to ask their doctors for antibiotics to treat cases of bronchitis that would go away without treatment.

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Tuesday, January 08, 2013

Shots - Health News

In Canada, Gonorrhea Defeats Another Antibiotic

In the U.S., doctors no longer have the option of treating gonorrhea with a pill. Instead, they are advised to use an injectable antibiotic, which is still effective against the bacteria.

January 8, 2013 Superstrains of gonorrhea, which are resistant to all antibiotics, have cropped up in Europe and Asia. Now Canadian doctors report the first failure in North America of the usual antibiotic for gonorrhea, leaving just one drug left to fight the sexually transmitted germ.

Summary

Thursday, August 09, 2012

Shots - Health News

Gonorrhea Evades Antibiotics, Leaving Only One Drug To Treat Disease

Health officials say they're worried that one day there will be no more antibiotics left to treat gonorrhea.

August 9, 2012 Most of the antibiotics that once worked against gonorrhea have stopped working. Now federal health officials say doctors should stop using one of the two remaining drugs. "The big worry is that we potentially could have untreatable gonorrhea in the United States," one expert says.

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

The Salt

Studies Tie Human Bladder Infections To Antibiotics In Chicken

Some chicken contains the same antibiotic-resistant E. Coli that's been found to cause recurrent bladder infections.

July 12, 2012 A new investigative report connects human drug-resistant infections and overuse of antibiotics in animals raised for food. But not everyone agrees the problem of antibiotic resistance is so clear cut.

Summary

Friday, June 22, 2012

Shots - Health News

Drug-Resistant Germ In Rhode Island Hospital Raises Worries

Pretty to look at, almost, but Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria these are a common cause of infections in hospitals.

June 22, 2012 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites Rhode Island Hospital for fast work in stamping out a dangerous antibiotic-resistant germ. But federal officials are concerned the next time might not go as well. They're asking U.S. hospitals to be alert to the threat.

Summary

Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Salt

Antibiotic-Free Meat Business Is Booming, Thanks To Chipotle

The antibiotic-free pigs roam freely on Niman Ranch in Iowa.

May 31, 2012 Antibiotic-free food went mainstream after Chipotle's founder advertised free-range pork on the menu. Now many big players in food service are getting into the act, creating a few supply chain hiccups.

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