Most health officials avoid using terms that are used to describe the apocalypse in relation to health. So when the Director of the CDC warns of a coming health “nightmare” and a “catastrophic threat,” we should certainly take notice.
The CDC estimates that, at a minimum, more than two million people are sickened every year with antibiotic-resistant infections in the United States alone, with at least 23,000 dying as a result.
While antibiotics have been a pivotal help to the medical field, especially in relation to surgery, we may be coming to the end of the antibiotic era. A number of prominent publications have recently warned of the threat of antibiotic resistance.
But there are now infections that are resistant to nearly all antibiotics, even to so-called drugs of last resort. Unfortunately, many of these last resort drugs are being used extensively in the meat industry and fed to animals in their feed.
According to the World Health Organization, more antibiotics are fed to farmed animals than are used to treat disease in human patients, almost all without a prescription. Huge amounts of antibiotics are used in fish farming and other intensive animal farming, even up to four times the amount used in human medicine, because they are cheaper than providing the animals with sanitary conditions. So, the animals are dosed with drugs, and factory farms are driving the growth of antibiotic-resistant organisms, which affect human health. These antibiotic-resistant bacteria are considered to be a serious threat.
When the animals are slaughtered the resistant bacteria can travel on meat to the store and end up causing hard-to-treat illnesses in people.
“Flesh was never the best food; but its use is now doubly objectionable, since disease in animals is so rapidly increasing. Those who use flesh foods little know what they are eating. Often if they could see the animals when living and know the quality of the meat they eat, they would turn from it with loathing.” Ministry of Healing, page 313
“When flesh food is discarded, its place should be supplied with a variety of grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits, that will be both nourishing and appetizing. . . . The place of meat should be supplied with wholesome foods that are inexpensive.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, page 315
Nature Knows Best!