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Comment by Nux | Hacker News Reader

Cramming loads of animals together and pumping them with antibiotics is probably widespread farming procedure by now. I would imagine changing this will require some effort.

Not to mention this will prolly raise the price of your favourite horse, errm.. beef burger at the local supermarket. :-)

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We vote with every purchase, we can help by not buying meat that uses antibiotics (natural/organic/etc), and by not taking antibiotics unless the doctor strongly recommends. I tell my doctor straight up that I do not want meds unless necessary for my health and safety. I do not trust the pharmaceutical industry one bit, I personally believe that they create as many problems as they solve.

My understanding is that antibiotic usage in cows is that it significantly increases their growth rate given the livestock feed we use by altering their gut flora to utilize the nutrients better. If MRSA became resistant to whatever antibiotic they use, I don't think it would alter agricultural practice since that's not what they're using it for.

I could be wrong since this is way out of my areas of interest, but AFAIK it has nothing to do with fighting off infections.

Any idea how the antibiotics make them grow faster? You'd think killing gut flora would make them grow more slowly?

Cattle don't need flora to digest grains. They never ate grain in their evolutionary past, only grass. Their flora doesn't process it- which is why E. coli takes over.

The majority of cattle which end up in a grocer, convenience store, or restaurant spent most of their life completely infested with E. coli. Right up to the point of being thrown into the grinder.

E. Coli is commonly found in the intestines of all warm-blooded animals, and it is usually harmless. There are only a few problematic strains.

They are raised in unsanitary conditions and antibiotics reduce the infections. Watch the documentary Food Inc. for a good overview of how screwed up the US meat industry is

There are always neigh-sayers

(sorry)

One of the best things about HN is the lack of idiotic pun threads. Leave that to reddit.

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