Antimicrobial resistance

摘要

A new and somewhat controversial bill has been introduced in the US Congress. It is titled the, 'Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act' (PAMT) and known as the Slaughter Bill after its sponsor Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter. When introducing the bill Congresswoman Slaughter said, "My legislation will limit the use of antibiotics on our livestock to ensure that we are not inadvertently creating antibiotic-resistant diseases that we can't fight with modern medicine." Seeking to reinforce the need for this legislation it was pointed out that antibiotics are an indispensable part of modern medicine, protecting all of us from deadly infections and that over the past several years, the widespread practice of using antibiotics to promote livestock growth and compensate for unsanitary, crowded conditions has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria and other germs, rendering many of our most powerful drugs ineffective.