# Public Confusion About Antibiotic Resistance



## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

This piece of article was taken from World Poultry. 


Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change and become resistant to the antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause. Over-use and misuse of antibiotics increase the development of resistant bacteria, and this survey points out some of the practices, gaps in understanding and misconceptions which contribute to this phenomenon.


Antibiotics and viruses

Almost two thirds (64%) of some 10,000 people who were surveyed across 12 countries say they know antibiotic resistance is an issue that could affect them and their families, but how it affects them and what they can do to address it are not well understood. For example, 64% of respondents believe antibiotics can be used to treat colds and flu, despite the fact that antibiotics have no impact on viruses. Close to one third (32%) of people surveyed believe they should stop taking antibiotics when they feel better, rather than completing the prescribed course of treatment.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

Good post Karen. I think chicken owners are smarter than the average person. Most chicken owners know that antibiotics are useless against virusus.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Some blame can be laid at the feet of health professionals that cave in to patient demands they be given an antibiotic for viral infections.

And then there's the whole old wive's tales about how a dose of antibiotics will fix anything. My own in-laws were so clueless when it came to anything health related and there was no convincing they were wrong.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

LOL. I have run across a similar misunderstanding with some people. How vaccines work. many people think of vaccines as medicine, like give a shot, cure an ailment, when vaccines are minute safer exposures to lead a body to be "pre-prepared" for when the real thing comes around.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I also read (but the article is too "piecemeal" about Coccidiosis. It's kind of common sense . If one can control Coccidiosis outbreaks, one is also greatly reducing the chances of getting Enteritis, gut leakage, septicemia due to less damage caused to the intestinal walls by coccidial damage.

Coccidiosis and Enteritis can also live a long time as a sub clinical ailment, meaning that there is a low number that's enough to cause damage chronically or long term, without the expected symptoms. Marek's exposed chickens are frequently victims of this due to immune deficiency, and the fact that all chickens carry small amounts of bacteria and cocci even when they are healthy.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

robin416 said:


> Some blame can be laid at the feet of health professionals that cave in to patient demands they be given an antibiotic for viral infections.
> 
> And then there's the whole old wive's tales about how a dose of antibiotics will fix anything. My own in-laws were so clueless when it came to anything health related and there was no convincing they were wrong.


LOL I was surprised by how many nurses I worked with who knew this, yet still got antibiotics from their doctor for colds or viruses.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Exactly! I had an optometrist tell me once he wouldn't get vaccines for his dogs because they didn't work on virus'. I started naming off the viral diseases vaccines were available to humans to protect them. I mean like, duh.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

I worry though, that lice powders used all the time do the same thing. Also wormers.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Alaskan said:


> I worry though, that lice powders used all the time do the same thing. Also wormers.


I think with wormers and powders what happens is that they don't kill all of the pests. Those remain resistant and have resistant offspring. To stop that from happening, people rotate wormers and external pesticides. We can always rotate sevin and poultry dust (permethrines) (sp). For wormers, as Dawg.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

The problem is if poultry dust is constantly used in the coop, then the critters become resistant to it. If the poultry dust is ONLY used when there is an outbreak there is a much lower risk of the critters building up resistance.

Also some chemicals, like permethrines, have a VERY long half life.


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## dawg53 (Aug 25, 2015)

I only use dusts if there's a problem. There are plenty of alternatives other than dusts as well as plenty of wormers on the market. Resistance isnt an issue unless the same product is used for a long period of time.
However it's still best to rotate products.


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

The feed store I go to gives Duramycin to birds that aren't sick.


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

casportpony said:


> The feed store I go to gives Duramycin to birds that aren't sick.


And to think that someone got paid to come up with that practice!


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## casportpony (Aug 22, 2015)

To make matters worse, or at least I think it would be worse, they're using less than 200mg per gallon.


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

Yes... A low dose makes it easier for stuff to become resistant (bacteria, lice, worms, etc.)


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

As dumb as the average person is (ahem) I think the blame for antibiotic resistance is actually mostly due to abuses in the industrial meat industry. For instance they found out that mammals grow bigger and faster when given antibiotics for no reason.. so why not give them superfluous amounts, it makes business cheaper and profits bigger! And then there's the whole "preventative" strategy - just loading up with antibiotics so they won't all die when you shove them into extremely crowded and nasty conditions.... The whole process needs to change if we want to be healthier (and more humane!) as a society. 

On a separate note some doctors are morons. I have had a litany of unexplained illnesses, chronic, which I have spent nearly 20 years trying to figure out. At one point I went to a doctor that prescribed LIFELONG low dose antibiotics! When I asked why he just said sometimes it helps?! I didn't fill that prescription.... I didn't feel the need to turn my body into a farm for super bugs thank you very much. (And I keep getting asked why I quit going to doctors... I have so many similarly disturbing anecdotes it could make you cry. I swear.)


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## Alaskan (Aug 22, 2015)

Yep... Some of my kids have had odd issues... Just kills me.

I like to KNOW. 

Give me a broken bone, that is nice and clear cut, and easy to fix.

Not "he is bothered by nebulous irritations at random times"

(Luckily, two of my kids finally have clear reasons for their issues... But not two others.. The fifth is so far completely problem free... And he is the largest. Kind of duh... If you have no medical issues you the grow better)


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