Antibiotics in Poultry May Pose Risk to Humans

The widespread use of antibiotics in poultry farming, may lead to antibiotic resistance in humans who eat chicken.

At issue is the use of virginiamycin, an antibiotic used in farm animals to boost their growth.

The drug is banned in Europe, but farmers are allowed to use it in the United States.

Some studies have suggested that virginiamycin can cause germs in poultry to become super-powered, much as overuse of antibiotics in humans has made some people immune to certain drugs.

This phenomenon, known as drug resistance, happens when an antibiotic is used so often that germs mutate around it.

It’s possible for drug resistance to be spread through food. “When we consume food with organisms that have resistance genes, these genes can be transferred to our natural organisms, causing them to become drug-resistant….”