antibiotics hormone
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Post by antibiotics hormone on Dec 31, 2011 9:58:36 GMT -8
What's the Big Secret? Much of the pollution in U.S. rivers and streams today comes from the manure generated by CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations), which confine thousands of animals on a single site. To determine the extent of the problem and how it might be better addressed, the public and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) need to know more about these facilities and the waste they produce. But unlike many other industries, CAFOs do not regularly disclose facility-specific information to the EPA—and the powerful interests behind CAFOs want to keep it that way. Under a recent settlement agreement, the EPA promised a regulation that would require CAFOs nationwide to report some basic facts, such as the location of the operation and number of animals housed. The EPA is now asking for public comments on a proposed rule to collect some of this data from the nation’s largest CAFOs. Having this information will vastly improve the agency’s ability to ensure that CAFOs comply with the Clean Water Act and do not contaminate our lakes and waterways. Gathering this information is about simple transparency and protecting the environment, but industrial animal agriculture is fighting to keep CAFOs shrouded in secrecy. The industry is pressing the EPA to withdraw the proposal or limit its application. So please act now, and urge everyone you know to do the same. Ask the EPA to finalize a rule that collects information from CAFOs across the country. We have only until Jan. 19 to get as many comments as possible. www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/other-resources/transparency-needed-for-industrial-animal-agriculture-85899365587
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Post by clone on Jan 29, 2012 22:09:43 GMT -8
Mexican farm swine flu's 'ground zero': residents Last Updated: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 6:12 PM ET Residents in a Mexican community of 3,000 say they believe their town is ground zero for the swine flu epidemic, even if health officials aren't saying so. A youth stands outside the home of a child who, according to Veracruz state Gov. Miguel Herrera, survived the swine flu, as he waits with others for Herrera's arrival to La Gloria village in Mexico's Veracruz state on Monday.A youth stands outside the home of a child who, according to Veracruz state Gov. Miguel Herrera, survived the swine flu, as he waits with others for Herrera's arrival to La Gloria village in Mexico's Veracruz state on Monday. (Alexandre Meneghini/Associated Press)More than 450 residents of La Gloria say they're suffering from respiratory problems from contamination spread by pig waste at nearby breeding farms co-owned by a U.S. company. Officials with the company say they've found no sign of swine flu on its farms, and Mexican authorities haven't determined the outbreak's origin. www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2009/04/28/swine-flu-origin042809.html
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Post by roche anise on Jan 29, 2012 22:12:52 GMT -8
Prove Tamiflu works, scientists challenge Roche Scientists have challenged the makers of Tamiflu, Britain's first line of defence against emerging flu strains, to prove its effectiveness. 7:00AM GMT 18 Jan 2012 They say that Roche, which makes the antiviral, has failed to supply them with full clinical trials data on the drug, despite repeated requests. The Department of Health invested heavily in Tamiflu after the avian flu scare in 2005. Derived from spice star anise, it ordered 14.6 million doses that year at a cost of £200 million. Trials have shown that it helps alleviate serious flu symptoms and could reduce hospitalisations by 60 per cent. Ministers decided to buy so much because vaccines cannot be made quickly enough to protect populations against emerging strains. They have now stockpiled enough Tamiflu and another antiviral, called Relenza, to cover half the population. But when scientists at the Cochrane Collaboration, which aims to assess evidence on medical treatments, asked Roche for full details of 10 treatment trials, they say the firm only provided them with partial information... www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9020702/Prove-Tamiflu-works-scientists-challenge-Roche.html
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Post by clone on Jan 29, 2012 22:16:57 GMT -8
Mexican swine flu outbreak kills 29, infects nearly 1,500 Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at 10:22 am MEXICO CITY (BNO NEWS) -- An ongoing swine flu outbreak in Mexico has left at least 29 people dead and nearly 1,500 others infected, health officials confirmed on Saturday. Thousands more are also ill as the country faces several types of flu this season. Since the start of the ongoing winter season, at least 7,069 people have reported suffering from symptoms similar to those of swine flu. Lab tests are still underway and have so far confirmed 1,456 cases of the disease, which is officially known as A/H1N1. wireupdate.com/mexican-swine-flu-outbreak-kills-29-infects-nearly-1500.html
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Post by clone on Jan 29, 2012 22:25:21 GMT -8
Resistant Bacteria - Antibiotics Prove Powerless as Super-Germs Spread 01/27/2012 Part 2: The Post Antibiotic Era This rapid spread has caused many to wonder whether more and more people in Germany will soon die of infectious diseases that were supposedly treatable, as happened in centuries past. Unfortunately, there are many indications that this might ultimately be the case. "We are moving toward a post-antibiotic era," predicts Yehuda Carmeli of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. "But it won't happen on one day or at the same time in every part of the world. And that's the tragedy, because this means that it is not perceived as a serious problem." The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned against an impending medical catastrophe. And, in The Lancet, leading healthcare experts published an urgent appeal: "We have watched too passively as the treasury of drugs that has served us well has been stripped of its value. We urge our colleagues worldwide to take responsibility for the protection of this precious resource. There is no longer time for silence and complacency." In fact, the carelessness with which doctors and farmers are jeopardizing the effectiveness of one of the most important groups of drugs borders on lunacy. Some 900 metric tons of antibiotics are administered to livestock each year in Germany alone. Instead of treating only those animals that are truly sick, farmers routinely feed the medications to all of their animals. Likewise, some 300 metric tons of antibiotics are used to treat humans each year, far too often for those merely suffering from a common cold. www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,811560-2,00.html
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Post by foston on Feb 13, 2012 9:12:13 GMT -8
Controversy continues over 'mega' pig farm at Foston - 13 February 2012 Last updated at 01:14 ET. A controversial application to build a farm with more than 25,000 pigs in Foston, Derbyshire has angered both local residents and animal rights campaigners. The plan by Midland Pig Producers (MPP) has led to a series of angry demonstrations against the growth of intensive farming. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-16968502
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Post by marine mammals on Feb 28, 2012 21:56:50 GMT -8
deadly antibiotic resistant bacteria spreading from farm animals to sea mammals 2:47 pm - 02/24/2012 The meat industry defends its reliance on routine antibiotic use by flatly denying the practice poses any public health problem. The view is summed up by this 2010 National Pork Producers Council newsletter: "[T]here are no definitive studies linking the use of antibiotics in animal feed to changes in resistance in humans." The claim, I guess, is that the drug-resistant bacteria that evolve on antibiotic-laden feedlots stay on those feedlots and don't migrate out. That contention is looking increasingly flimsy. My colleague Julia Whitty recently pointed to a new study showing that a particular antibiotic-resistant pathogen "likely originated as a harmless bacterium living in humans, which acquired antibiotic resistance only after it migrated into livestock." In its new, harmful form, Julia reported, the bacterial strain "now causes skin infections and sepsis, mostly in farm workers." And humans aren't the only creatures paying the price of routine antibiotic use. A research team from the Pacific Northwest has found that terrestrial pathogens, including strains of E. coli resistant to multiple antibiotics, are now infecting sea mammals. The researchers collected and performed autopsies on more than 1,600 stranded seals and otters over 10 years. They found that infectious diseases accounted for 30 to 40 percent of the deaths. "Comparing the diseases found in marine mammals with terrestrial mammals has identified similar, and in many cases genetically identical disease agents," the researchers report. more: ontd-political.livejournal.com/9369053.html
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Post by schools on Mar 7, 2012 18:05:24 GMT -8
Pink Slime For School Lunch: Government Buying 7 Million Pounds Of Ammonia-Treated Meat For Meals Updated: 03/ 6/2012 9:03 am Pink slime -- that ammonia-treated meat in a bright Pepto-bismol shade -- may have been rejected by fast food joints like McDonald's, Taco Bell and Burger King, but is being brought in by the tons for the nation's school lunch program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is purchasing 7 million pounds of the "slime" for school lunches, The Daily reports. Officially termed "Lean Beef Trimmings," the product is a ground-up combination of beef scraps, cow connective tissues and other beef trimmings that are treated with ammonium hydroxide to kill pathogens like salmonella and E. coli. It's then blended into traditional meat products like ground beef and hamburger patties. www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/pink-slime-for-school-lun_n_1322325.htmlDespite voicing his concerns to other officials at the food inspection service, however, the USDA ruled that Lean Beef Trimmings were safe. “The word in the office was that undersecretary JoAnn Smith pushed it through, and that was that,” Custer said. Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, Smith had deep ties with the beef industry, serving as president of both the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and the of the National Cattlemen’s Association. “Scientists in D.C. were pressured to approve this stuff with minimal safety approval,” Zirnstein said. A baseline study conducted by Zirstein and Custer classified the trimmings as a “high risk product.” Zirnstein says the food inspection service ignored their findings, and commissioned a separate study to assess the safety of BPI’s meat. www.thedaily.com/page/2012/03/05/030512-news-pink-slime-1-3/
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Post by 2003 on Mar 12, 2012 15:47:11 GMT -8
281% increase in meat packing companies' profits. www.oag.ab.ca/?V_DOC_ID=875There have been questions since the discovery of BSE about AFRD’s response to the emergency. The first concern related to the three month delay in verifying the disease through laboratory testing. The media and legislative opposition have questioned who received the BSE financial aid program payments and the extent of the increase in the profits of the meat packers. www.oag.ab.ca/files/oag/OAG_BSE_2004.pdfAug. 3, 2004:Alberta's auditor general reports that the province's meat packers nearly tripled their profits because of mad cow disease. Cattle prices dropped, but consumer demand remained high, so packers didn't change their prices. But the packers did not receive money from a provincial program designed to help cattle producers, the auditor says. June 15, 2004:The Alberta government reports that more than 10 per cent of the province's $400 million in mad cow aid went to two meat-packing companies: Lakeside Farm Industries and Cargill Foods. The province's agriculture minister says they got the biggest cheques because they have the most invested in the industry. May 13, 2004:MPs from the Conservative party and Bloc Québécois block a House of Commons motion to impose fines on meat packers Lakeside and Cargill for refusing to release financial information. The all-party agriculture committee asked for fines of $250,000 until the companies open their books to federal auditors. May 6, 2004:The House of Commons finds Lakeside and Cargill in contempt of Parliament for refusing to give financial statements to the federal agriculture committee. www.cbc.ca/news/background/madcow/timeline.htmlResearch: Live animal BSE testing - April 8, 2010 www.medicine.ucalgary.ca/about/alma_genomicsResearch: Livestock facility design, Dr. Temple Grandin www.colostate.edu/features/temple-grandin.aspx
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Post by clone on Apr 12, 2012 19:05:42 GMT -8
April 11, 2012 US Regulators Call for Limits on Antibiotic Use in Livestock Animals in many large livestock-raising operations get a small but steady dose of certain antibiotics in their feed. www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Regulators-Call-for-Limits-on-Antibiotic-Use-in-Livestock-147078055.htmlApril 12, 2012 5:30 PM Antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in 4-million-year-old cave (CBS News) In a 4-million-year-old cave, scientists may have discovered the secret as to why our modern day drugs to treat some infections are failing. Four-hundred-eighty-seven meters below the earth in the Lachuguilla cave system, part of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, researchers discovered that drug resistance has been around, well, forever. Although many people have blamed the fact that we are overusing antibiotics and creating "superbugs," it seems that bacteria's drug resistance evolved naturally millions of years ago. www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57413297-10391704/antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-found-in-4-million-year-old-cave/The Dolls Theater, encountered during the Big Room Route through the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico.
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Post by revelation 16four on May 8, 2012 13:41:44 GMT -8
Dallas River Turns Red With (Hog) Blood Jan 24, 2012 A river in southern Dallas has turned red with the fresh blood of swine, alarming environmentalists and creating the ultimate nightmare for hemophobiacs. The bloody saga of Cedar Creek, a tributary of the Trinity River that cuts Dallas in two, splashed onto headlines this week after a model-plane enthusiast spotted a suspicious red patch in the water through his drone's camera. The man submitted a photo to sUAS News, a site devoted to the topic of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, which then helped break the story of the gory river (and to many, the news that people are flying drones above our heads this very second). more: www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/01/dallas-river-turns-red-hog-blood/1042/
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Post by La Gloria on Jun 12, 2012 18:15:49 GMT -8
Swine Flu Outbreak -- Nature Biting Back at Industrial Animal Production? Posted: April 25, 2009 05:50 PM For years, leading scientists around the world have worried that large-scale, indoor swine "factories" would become breeding grounds for new pathogens that could more easily infect humans and then spread out rapidly in the general population - threatening to become a global pandemic. We know that hog workers in Europe and North America are far more likely than others to be infected with potentially lethal pathogens such as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), drug-resistant E. coli and Salmonella, and of course, swine influenza. Many scientists also believe that people who work inside CAFOs are more at risk of contracting and spreading these and other "zoonotic" diseases than those working in smaller-scale operations, with outdoor pens or pasture and far lower animal density. www.huffingtonpost.com/david-kirby/swine-flu-outbreak----nat_b_191408.html
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Post by clone on Jun 18, 2012 15:15:39 GMT -8
One third of fish caught worldwide used as animal feed 4:30PM GMT 29 Oct 2008 The fish being used to feed pigs, chickens and farm-raised fish are often thought of as bait, including anchovies, sardines, menhaden and other small- to medium-sized species, researchers claim in a study to be published in November in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources. These so-called forage fish account for *37 per cent, or 31.5 million tonnes* of all fish taken from the world's oceans each year, the study said. Ninety per cent of that catch is turned into fish meal or fish oil, most of which is used as agricultural and aquacultural feed. ... Unlike fish such as tuna, swordfish and cod, the catching of forage fish is largely unregulated, Pikitch said. Excessive removal of these small fish from the ocean environment could hurt the species that feed on them. Aside from the potential ecological consequences, the taking of these large numbers of forage fish interferes with food security for humans, she said. On average, it takes three to five pounds (1.36 to 2.27 kg) of fishmeal to produce one pound (0.45 kg) of farm-raised fish, Pikitch said. more: www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/3353985/One-third-of-fish-caught-worldwide-used-as-animal-feed.html
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Post by clone on Jun 28, 2012 9:48:49 GMT -8
It's the deer. And mice. E-coli concerns in southern Alberta Ian McDonald, Global News : Tuesday, June 26, 2012 6:36 PM A Calgary lab claims to have found e-coli in surface water in southern Alberta. Of the 60 sites it tested 51 per cent tested positive for e-coli and 3 per cent for e-coli 157-H7. Chris Bolton, the CEO of Benchmark Labs, said one is near Calgary, one at Brooks and one near Picture Butte. ..... But, the manager of Alberta Beef Producers says more investigation needs to be done before establishing that e-coli is coming from cattle operations. “E-coli is pretty persistent in surface water,” said Rich Smith. “Because wildlife carry it, people carry it, all warm blooded animals carry it. So finding e-coli doesn't necessarily mean that there's contamination occurring from confined feeding operations.” www.globaltvcalgary.com/pages/story.aspx?id=6442668838
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Post by clone on Sept 14, 2012 17:12:55 GMT -8
‘Mad Cow’ blood test now on the horizon 12 Sep 2012 A simple blood test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Mad Cow disease is a step closer, following a breakthrough by medical researchers at the University of Melbourne. newsroom.melbourne.edu/news/n-901
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