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Monday, August 15, 2011

Study shows less antibiotic-resistant bacteria on organic poultry farms

Poultry farms that switch to organic practices have lower levels of one type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria than conventional poultry farms, according to a new study by the University of Maryland.

The study follows a recent Salmonella outbreak in ground turkey that has been linked to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, industry representatives continue to dispute that antibiotic use in agriculture may contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

(Associated Press photo by Seth Perlman)

For this study, researchers compared 10 conventional poultry farms with 10 farms that recently changed to organic practices and found "a much smaller percentage of bacteria at the organic farms," The Huffington Post reports, "indicating that the use of antibiotics in animals encourages the spread of drug resistant bacteria." (Read more)

Industry groups question evidence linking antibiotic use with the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. "Antibiotics have been safely used on farms, along with other animal drugs, for half a century to treat and control disease in animals and to improve the animal's overall health, allowing for greater productivity," Sherri Rosenblatt, spokeswoman for the National Turkey Federation told Bill Tomson of The Wall Street Journal.

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