Bacteria

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists an estimated 70% (I had heard 80, which is why I found this exceedingly interesting) of antibiotics and related drugs produced in the US are used for non therapeutic purposes. They are used most appetizingly for treating cattle overcrowding, enhancing animal growth and compensating for the general unsanitary conditions found on factory farms. This amounts annually to almost eight times the amount of drugs used to treat humans. Nice. (I'm sure its much better here in Israel, right).

The result of this are many new drug resistant strains of bacteria. For example, a recent outbreak of Salmonella DT 104 in Denmark (symptoms include "extreme diarrhea", "very high fever" and death) proved resistant to the five most popular antibiotics (including ampicillin and tetracycline). Both the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization have called for banning the use of antibiotics used on humans, on food. Bacteria have been around for billions of years and it seem they plan to stay.

I am a well-known pill popper. It's most amusing, as I have been vegetarian for nearly twenty years, I have probably consumed less drugs than all you carnivores.