Antibiotic-resistant genes are spreading throughout the world in animal feed
Antibiotic-resistant genes are spreading around the world in animal feed, according to new research added to concerns that mankind could lose one of the most important drugs. A report commissioned by the government last year estimated that 10 million people a year could die worldwide by 2050 due to the increase in "superbugs", prompting the then-Prime Minister David Cameron to announce a campaign against doctors’ excessive prescriptions and to direct efforts to address the problem at the United Nations. Bacteria resistant to the "last resort" antibiotics, colistin, were found in the UK in December 2015, after similar discoveries elsewhere in Europe, Africa and China. The threat to human health has been compared to climate change and nuclear war.
Oliver Dodd