Globally, the overuse and misuse of drugs – especially antibiotics – in the food chain and in the pollution from livestock farming (spills of manure and other waste into soil and waterways), is a major contributor to the rapid rise of superbugs. How big a problem is antibiotic use in animal far.
Antibiotics play an important role in the management of bacterial infections. But the extensive use of antibiotics has resulted in drug resistance that threatens to reverse their life-saving power.
We spoke to experts about antimicrobial resistance, and all agreed that we should use far less antibiotics and only use them when they are absolutely necessary. But actually making this happen is surprisingly complex.
Antibiotics play an important role in the management of bacterial infections. But the extensive use of antibiotics has resulted in drug resistance that threatens to reverse their life-saving power.