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Lance Price uses DNA to track “superbugs,” or bacteria that are resistant to our best antibiotics, that are killing 23,000 Americans every year. On one hand, these bugs are becoming stronger from evolution. On the other hand, the constant presence of antibiotics is accelerating this process. In order to slow down the growth of superbugs, the food system needs to make some big changes.
Video Length: 00:13:04
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About Lance Price
Public Health Researcher and Advocate Factory Farms, Antibiotics and Superbugs – Lance PriceLance Price is a public health researcher who works at the interface between science and policy to address the growing ...read more.
Publications & Reports
Books
- Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding and Responding to an Emerging Crisis, Karl Drlica & David Perlin. FT Press, 2011.
The authors investigate the evolution of pathogenic bacteria and explore the path to resistance. - Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues, Martin Blaser, Henry Holt & Co, 2014.
Blaser discusses the detrimental consequences of overusing antibiotics. - SUPERBUG: The Fatal Menace of MRSA, Maryn McKenna, Free Press, 2011.
McKenna seeks to empower readers with all resources and knowledge required to protect themselves from superbugs. - Revenge of the Microbes: How Bacterial Resistance is Undermining the Antibiotic Miracle, Abigail Salyers & Dixie White, ASM Press, 2005.
Salyers and White report on how bacterial resistance poses a threat to antibiotic effectiveness.
Reports & Studies
- Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, CDC, 2013.
This CDC report presents the burdens and threats that antibiotic-resistant germs pose on human health. - Antimicrobial Resistance: global report on surveillance, WHO, 2014.
Produced in collaboration with Member States, this report discusses how antibiotic resistance is reaching alarming levels. - Raising Resistance, The National Resources Defense Council, 2014.
This NRDC report provides evidence that the overuse of antibiotics in food and animal production is a major source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. - Testimony of Lance B. Price, Ph.D., Lance Price, 2014.
The official transcript of Lance Price addressing the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology on the overuse of antibiotics in animal agriculture.
Information
Discussion Questions
- Why are antibiotics used in food and animals?
- How does this impact human health?
- What can policymakers do to encourage and/or enforce practices that reduce the inappropriate and unnecessary use of antibiotics?
- What can consumers do to force change and help fight the growing threat of antibiotic resistance?
- How can we raise awareness and educate those who aren’t aware of antibiotic resistance?
Additional information
- Antibiotics, Grace Communications Foundation.
Grace Communications’ Sustainable Table profile on antibiotics provides information on what antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria are as well as sustainable alternatives to using them in agriculture. - Antibiotic Resistance, National Resources Defense Council.
This NRDC articles provides background on antibiotic usage in the United States and ways to avoid antibiotic treated meat. - Antimicrobial Resistance Fact Sheet, WHO.
Learn some key facts and find answers to FAQs about antimicrobial resistance. - Combating Antibiotic Resistance, FDA.
This FDA post shares what the FDA is doing to combat antibiotic resistance. - FDA’s Strategy on Antimicrobial Resistance, USDA.
A Q&A with the FDA on its strategy on antimicrobial resistance including what drugs they’re focusing on as well as the important role of veterinarians and animal producers. - McDonald’s Is Finally Phasing Out Antibiotics in Chicken. Thank Chipotle, Slate, 2015.
A step in the right direction! McDonald’s joins companies like Panera and Chick-Fil-A by finally phasing out antibiotics in its chicken. - National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System, FDA.
Established in 1996, NARMS is a collaborative project of local and public health departments, the FDA, the CDC and the USDA to protect and promote public health about bacterial resistance. - Phasing out Certain Antibiotics Use in Farm Animals, FDA, 2015.
The FDA is implementing a voluntary plan with industry to phase out the use of certain antibiotics in food production. Learn more here. - Q&A With Lance Price, Grace Communications Foundation, 2013.
Check out Grace’s pre-TEDxManhattan interview with Lance. - Stop the Spread of Superbugs: Help Fight Drug-Resistant Bacteria, National Institutes of Health, 2014.
The NIH discusses the threat of superbugs and the steps we must take to fight these bacteria. - Tracing Germs Through the Aisles, Sabrina Tavernise, The New York Times, 2013.
Science Times writer for the New York Times Tavernise presents an in depth report on Lance’s work as well as his outlook on the future of fighting antibiotic resistance. - There are also federal resources on antibiotic resistance: The CDC has many resources and collaborates with various organizations about antimicrobial resistance.The FDA and USDA are integral players in the White House National Strategy for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria (CARB).
- Social media accounts who post on antibiotic resistance and related topics:
https://www.facebook.com/CitizensAgainstSuperbugs
https://www.facebook.com/saveantibioticsforthesick
@saveantibiotics
Take Action
Things You Can Do to Combat Antibiotic Resistance
- Go to drugsmakebugs.org to sign the most recent petitions and see other ways you can take action.
- Use regular soap rather than antibacterial soap.
- Encourage Members of Congress to support legislation aimed at ending antibiotic overuse and misuse in food animal production and to support funding to fight superbugs.
- Get your city to pass a resolution calling for an end to the misuse of antibiotics on factory farms.
- If you work in a hospital, develop an antibiotics resolution for your health care facility.
- Read the Environmental Working Group’s Meat Eaters Guide on what labels you can trust in grocery stores.
- Eat without antibiotics! When dining out, ask for meat and poultry that was raised without antibiotics.
- Next time you buy meat or poultry, use the Eat Well Guide to find antibiotic free products. Look for the USDA Organic and and “No Antibiotics Administered” labels.
- Go to Change Food’s Tumblr site to share and give us feedback on your experiences.
Campaigns
- Take action and Ask Congress to Support Funding to Fight Superbugs.
- Urge our nation’s top officials to stop the overuse of antibiotics and Save Our Antibiotics!
- Tell Congress: Save Antibiotics for Medicine, Not Factory Farms. Directly message your Member of Congress and encourage them to pass legislation to end the overuse of antibiotics on CAFOs.
Organizations
Alliance for the Prudent Use of Antibiotics
American Academy of Pediatrics
Antibiotic Resistance Action Center
Center for a Livable Future
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Centers for Disease Control
Consumers Union
Environmental Working Group
Food & Water Watch
Food Animal Concerns Trust
Health Care Without Harm
Healthy Food Action
Humane Society of the United States
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Keep Antibiotics Working
March of Dimes
Natural Resources Defense Council
STOP Foodborne Illness
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Trust for America’s Health
Waterkeeper Alliance