Antibiotic-resistant bacteria – so-called ‘superbugs’ – are a serious and growing pandemic worldwide. Evidence suggests that every year millions are infected with antibiotic-resistant superbugs and hundreds of thousands die.

Governments and media outlets publicly blame the healthcare system for using too many antibiotics – creating the superbugs – and lacking sufficient hygiene standards to stop them from spreading between patients. Problem is, less antibiotics and more hygiene on the part of healthcare practitioners over the years has not worked.

How effective is the official advice given? Could there be another – less known – source of unnecessary antibiotics and poor hygiene standards causing superbugs in the public? To find the answers, this study cites official sources of data.

How serious a problem is antibiotic resistance?

U.S. Centres for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)

[1],[2] National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) and Our World in Data (OWD, cites START) Superbug deaths per year*: U.S.: 23,000 (1,916 per month). 122 times terrorism deaths. E.U.: 25,000 (2,083 per month). 471 times terrorism deaths. Thailand: 38,000 (3,166 per month). 265 times terrorism deaths. India: 58,000 babies (4,833 per month). 103 times terrorism deaths. * 2,000,000 are infected with superbugs in the U.S. per year. Terrorism deaths per year*: U.S.: 188 (16 per month). 122 years to match superbug deaths. E.U.: 53 (4 per month). 471 years to match superbug deaths. Thailand: 143 (12 per month). 265 years to match superbug deaths. India: 559 (47 per month), 103 years to match superbug deaths. * Average between 2000-2016. All political and religious acts of terrorism.

The average number of terrorism deaths globally for any reason between 2000-2016 – including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria – is 14,306 per year. 1.6 times more Americans, 1.7 times more Europeans, 2.7 times more Thais, and 4 times more Indian babies die as a result of superbugs. The superbug total of 144,000 deaths per year from just these four locations is 10 times the global terrorism death toll.

Is there another source of antibiotics other than healthcare providers?

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) [1],[2] and the United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) Animal Agriculture in the United States: 80% of sales of ‘medically important’ antibiotics used to treat human diseases are sold for farmed animals . 60% of sales of antibiotics in 2016 for farmed animals were ‘medically important’ (8.3 million kilograms) . 40% of sales of antibiotics in 2016 for farmed animals were ‘not medically important’ (5.6 million kilograms)*. * ‘Not medically important’ means antibiotics used for diseases and to ‘promote growth’ in animals only. Total 13.9 million kilograms. Human Healthcare in the United States: 20% of sales of ‘medically important’ antibiotics used to treat human diseases are sold for humans . 4 times the amount of the same ‘medically important’ antibiotics are sold for farmed animals . 2 times the amount of ‘not medically important’ antibiotics are also sold for farmed animals*. * A total of 86% of all antibiotic sales in the U.S. are for farmed animals. 14% of sales are for human beings.

Does the use of antibiotics in Animal Agriculture affect humans?

The United Nations World Health Organisation (WHO) stated in 2015 (page 36-37, emphasis added):

Antibiotics are widely used in food-producing animals… This use contributes to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in food-producing animals. Resistant bacteria in food producing animals are of particular concern because these animals serve as carriers. Resistant bacteria can contaminate the foods that come from those animals [i.e. meat, dairy, and egg products; crops for food sprayed with infected manure], and people who consume these foods can develop antibiotic-resistant infections. Because of the link between antibiotic use in food-producing animals and the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant infections in humans, antibiotics should be used in food-producing animals only under veterinary oversight and only to manage and treat infectious diseases, not to promote growth [antibiotics ‘not medically important’].

The Australian Joint Expert Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance (JETCAR) stated in 1999 (page 3):

The committee agreed that there was evidence for:

the emergence of resistant bacteria in humans and animals following antibiotic use;

the spread of resistant animal bacteria to humans;

the transfer of antibiotic-resistance genes from animal bacteria to human pathogens; and

resistant strains of animal bacteria causing human disease

It has been officially known for at least 18 years that antibiotic-resistant superbugs in animal meat, dairy, and egg products does infect humans, and does turn existing human diseases into antibiotic-resistant superbugs, too. Infected people can then spread the infection to others (e.g. at hospitals). Yet, despite this, the FDA allowed antibiotic sales to animal agriculture in the U.S. to increase anyway:

Why are so many antibiotics being used in Animal Agriculture?

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) U.N. World Health Organisation (WHO)

According to the FDA*: There are more animals than humans (e.g. 9 billion chickens in the U.S., alone) . Some animals are bigger than humans and will need larger doses . Animals are different physically and need larger and/or longer doses . * The FDA is funded by pharmaceutical companies (i.e. that sell antibiotics) According to the WHO: ‘Medically important’ antibiotics are being used indiscriminately on healthy animals. ‘Not medically important’ antibiotics for growth should not be used at all . ‘Not medically important’ antibiotics for growth are banned in the E.U.* * E.U. deaths from superbugs are still higher than the U.S. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Using Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD)* in U.S. cattle as an example: 46% of antibiotics used by Animal Agriculture in 2016 were for cattle. 99.8% of cattle feedlots used antibiotics to treat BRD . 97.6% of cattle feedlots had BRD . Infected cattle are being mixed indiscriminately with heathy cattle, spreading BRD . * BRD – so-called ‘shipping fever’ – is the most prevalent but just one of many diseases affecting cattle. The spread of BRD (lung infections) results from abuse, neglect, and poor hygiene.

Commentary Based on the Data

The ‘war on terror’ has meant the gain of vast sums of (taxpayer) money by defence and security industries and sweeping new powers for governments. A ‘war on superbugs’ – a far deadlier threat than terrorism – would mean the loss of vast sums of money by animal agriculture and the pharmaceutical industries that rely on it, potentially resulting in their total collapse.

This frame explains why governments have largely ignored and refused to act on antibiotic misuse in animal agriculture, despite antibiotic-resistant superbugs resulting in hundreds of times more deaths than terrorism just in the United States. This frame also helps to explain why governments have criminalised exposing the abhorrent conditions of factory farms (e.g. U.S. “Ag-Gag” laws) that cause the spread of infections, and have labelled animal rights advocates as ‘domestic terrorists’.

The bottom line is that industrialised animal agriculture is dependent on antibiotics to function. Antibiotics are needed to keep animals ‘productive’ or at least alive long enough for slaughter in spite of the litany of diseases and infections suffered as a result of abuse, neglect, poor hygiene standards, and overcrowding suffered. These conditions are intended to minimise costs and maximise profits.