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Science

Livestock Antibiotic Use in Asia Dwarfs European Levels Amid Resistance Fears (ourworldindata.org) 39

Global antibiotic use in livestock varies dramatically across regions, with some Asian countries using up to 80 times more antibiotics per kilogram of meat than European nations, according to new research published by Our World in Data. Thailand leads global antibiotic consumption in livestock, while Norway reports the lowest usage rates.

The study found that around 70% of global antibiotics are administered to farm animals rather than humans, raising concerns about antimicrobial resistance. Several European countries have successfully reduced veterinary antibiotic sales by more than half between 2011 and 2022 through stricter regulations, including requiring prescriptions and imposing taxes on sales.

The Netherlands saw a 54% decrease in pig farm antibiotic use between 2004 and 2016 without negative impacts on animal welfare or farm economics. Researchers suggest global livestock antibiotic use could fall by two-thirds if consumption were reduced to 50 milligrams per kilogram of meat produced.

Livestock Antibiotic Use in Asia Dwarfs European Levels Amid Resistance Fears

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  • This reminds me of why you can eat raw eggs in Japan without getting Salmonella.
    I initially, somewhat cynically, suspected it might be due to a preemptive use of drugs in chickens, but it turns out to be superior hygene.
    Source: https://www.byfood.com/blog/ra... [byfood.com]

    • This reminds me of why you can eat raw eggs in Japan without getting Salmonella. I initially, somewhat cynically, suspected it might be due to a preemptive use of drugs in chickens, but it turns out to be superior hygene. Source: https://www.byfood.com/blog/ra... [byfood.com]

      We had an elephant dog that protected us from bull elephants. 14 years and not one Bull Elephant attacked us. Doggo had a perfect record.

      • by Anonymous Coward
        Damn. Time to get a new anti-troll rock.
      • I used to think the same thing, but it turns out Japan likes raw eggs so much, that they put quite a bit of effort into keeping salmonella out of eggs. It also helps that they are an island. Check out salmonella case numbers in Japan vs America, much lower.
    • You can do that everywhere. Salmonella is on the scale, not in the egg. So the only danger is if you open the egg and keep the raw inside for a long time. If you eat it right away the infection is still so small you won't even notice it.
    • I believe in the UK and the EU they vaccinate against it as well as have better cleanliness. As I have gone off on eating soy oil and things that come out of plastic jars, I've taken to making my own mayo. To avoid spending a lot to buy certified eggs, I pasteurize them using a sous vide. I *should* be killing all of it, though time will tell, of course. (LOL) So at least that's an option.
  • I suspect, but cannot prove, that there is a more than random relationship between mg/kg and animals/sq m.
  • by Mirnotoriety ( 10462951 ) on Tuesday December 10, 2024 @07:51PM (#65004537)
    Reason antibiotics is used on livestock is that they're raised in unhygienic and stressful conditions. Mass inoculation with antibiotics will of course lead to the evolution of more virulent strains of bacteria. Antibiotic residues in meat can get transferred to humans. Leading to accelerated evolution of new pathogens.
    • Re: (Score:1, Interesting)

      by Anonymous Coward
      Eating animals is mostly unnecessary if you live in 90% of the world that has access to grocery stores filled with isles full of ethical alternatives - this means anyone posting on Slashdot, that is sitting somewhere atop Maslow's Pyramid. No, you're not an Eskimo that depends on subsistence whaling (or some other equally silly argument).

      Anyone that has the time and ability to dick-around on internet message boards isn't a hunter/gatherer - you're eating animals out of habit, taste, convenience or lazin
      • Being alive is unnecessary for most people.

        Why dont we just stop the Asians?

      • Eating animals is mostly unnecessary

        I didn't get to the top of the food chain....only to eat salad.

        Don't get me wrong, I like me some veggies....BUT, I love having my protein from dead animal sources....taste, nutrient density...etc.

        That and for awhile now, I've been on about a 98% carnivore diet and I feel AMAZINGLY good....I think I've cut back on inflammation, I think more clearly, I sleep better, etc....cutting out all the crap in my diet really helped.

        I hope to bring some veggies back into my diet,

        • You didn't do shit to get to the top of the food chain. You were born into that privilege; you did zero to earn it.

          Oh, you have an inherited primate digestive system which is made for veggies and insect "meat" and on rare occasion animal meat. Your biology says what you're primarily made to live off. Doesn't mean that for a while you can't luck out for a long time pushing your system towards other things... it's those who survive pushing beyond healthy that change the species over time (assuming they procre

          • You didn't do shit to get to the top of the food chain. You were born into that privilege; you did zero to earn it.

            Geez, no one was claiming this on an individual basis.....but ok.."HUMANITY" at the top of the food chain.

            And I'm part of humanity...so, hence my statement.

            As a part of humanity....our brains, opposable thumbs, and gut biome allow us to be top of the chain...and readily consume other animals as source of protein.

            My highly developed brain allows me to have preferences and act upon them when

            • Biology says we are not carnivores. We CAN eat meat optionally but not primarily; since we have almost no evolutionary pressure past middle age the long term health problems don't matter. It just has to sustain you until your kids become young teenagers. Primates eat a lot of bugs and that is likely where our meat digestion comes in. Go find experts on that biology; they will tell you we have a primate system which is not geared for meat; bug meat yes. gut biomes change relatively easily and are not transfe

      • blah blah blah. Keep eating your fake food. I bet you never eat fresh veg or fruit, either, only ultraprocessed juices.
    • by Vegan Cyclist ( 1650427 ) on Tuesday December 10, 2024 @08:29PM (#65004585) Homepage

      Wrong.

      Antibiotics make animals grow faster. Sick animals are typically just discarded.

      https://www.who.int/news/item/... [who.int]

      But to your point, animal agriculture already takes up a huge amount of the planet, something like the entire continent of Africa would be needed if they were all raised in one space. It's truly shocking. So if you were to 'give them more space', you'd actually start to notice, because they'd be around you as well.

      Final fun fact: meat-eaters are like religious people when you consider it's the ones who don't partake that are often more informed on the subject. Do a deep dive into animal agriculture; I'm fairly confident your appetite will be curbed significantly.

      • > Antibiotics make animals grow faster. Sick animals are typically just discarded.

        That's interesting but doesn't invalidate my original point. Massed inoculation of antibiotics would accelerate immunity in pathogens. Rendering the antibiotics ineffective.
      • I thought that was the growth hormone injections that made it the difference
    • Indeed. It's why, if you have the opportunity, it's best to buy your meat from a trusted rancher. Tough if you don't live in ranch country though.
  • by hashish16 ( 1817982 ) on Tuesday December 10, 2024 @09:32PM (#65004667)
    Thailand uses 80x, not Asia. The second country is an unlabelled European country.
    • Thailand uses 80x, not Asia. The second country is an unlabelled European country.

      The second is "Faroe Islands"
      You can point at the graph to show the country's name.

      • by henni16 ( 586412 )

        Which probably means that one of their two sheep needed to be treated.

        More seriously: most of the countries that top the list - if you switch to the table display - are island states and there's even the note that "Several small island states have been excluded as they are large anomalous outliers" (you can still see them in the table, just not in the chart) and sheep were the animals with the by far the highest amount of antibiotic use.
        So probably bad odds for those numbers if you are small, an island and

  • In the rest of the world the dwarfs are miners, not farmers.

  • ... it's no fun berating faraway people who aren't like us and who don't even care about our berating!

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