Antibiotic use in livestock is a threat to humans (and livestock)
Antibiotics Use Warning poster (Consumer Reports)
Use of antibiotics in livestock is projected to increase globally and that is considered a risk for humans:
The Antibiotics Problem in Meat
March 23, 2015
A new study suggests that a consumer demand for chicken and pork in place like India, Russia, China, and Brazil will help drive a large increase in overuse of the drugs by 2030. …
B had leukemia, and she developed an infection that built up resistance to the hospital’s most powerful antibiotics even as she was being pumped full of them. She died the day after Spellberg told her husband the hospital had nothing left to try. In the book, Spellberg describes the case as happening “several years ago.” …
Antibiotic resistance may make cases like B’s much more common in the future. One of the biggest culprits is the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock. Industrial farms feed animals low doses of the drugs in order to promote growth and ward off infections within densely packed herds. From there, natural selection does its job: The bacteria that can overpower the drugs survive and multiply, and they make their way out into the environment through water, urine, and feces. In the U.S., 80 percent of antibiotics are used in animals, though the industry is moving away from the practice. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/03/the-next-big-antibiotic-resistance-threat/388430/
Global use of antimicrobials in livestock production is growing, according to a new study published … in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
According to the study, livestock producers across the globe used more than 63,000 tons of antibiotics in 2010. That number is expected to rise by 67 percent in the next 15 years and double in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, a projection that reflects soaring demand for meat worldwide, the researchers said.
While antibiotics can prevent disease and increase growth in cattle, chickens and pigs, bacteria exposed to the drugs can become antibiotic-resistant, posing a threat to both livestock and humans.
Ramanan Laxminarayan, the study’s senior author and director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in Washington, D.C. told NPR that the “circumstantial evidence, linking use in animals to drug-resistant bacteria in humans, is exceedingly strong.”
Pharmaceutical companies and agricultural groups have said there is no evidence that these drug-resistant bacteria are a threat to people’s health.
Europe has already scaled back on the use of antibiotics on animals, allowing their use only to prevent infections. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/study-finds-overuse-antibiotics-livestock/
Chickens and pigs are often raised much too closely together. This is wrong. Notice that righteous farmers have consideration for their animals:
10 A righteous man regards the life of his animal, But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. (Proverbs 12:10)
Unnecessary animal cruelty is wrong.
Furthermore, because of overuse of antibiotics, the USA and many other parts of the world are setting themselves up for the possibility of getting infections from bacteria that are resistant to various antibiotics. Yet, the Europeans and their animals are not quite in the same situation.
This poses a major risk for the USA, Asia, and other places. The USA, Canada, UK, and some other places could get affected and Europe missed. This would weaken the USA and make it more vulnerable to attack from Europe–an attack that will happen according to the Bible (Daniel 11:39). The USA will be weakened before it is attacked and taken over.
Notice that famines and pestilences will happen PRIOR to the start of the Great Tribulation:
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:4-8)
Notice that the Great Tribulation itself does not begin until later (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?):
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains…21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:15-16, 21)
The sorrows that Jesus spoke of include ‘troubles’ and famines:
8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)
Diseases and pests can truly cause troubles. The sorrows will worsen and the Great Tribulation will begin.
By using so many antibiotics in animals, the USA and other places are setting themselves up for ‘super bugs’ which are resistant to most medical interventions. This could cause a dramatic loss of livestock (cf. Deuteronomy 28:18) as well as cause many humans to become sick and even die.
Combine this with the risk that the USA has with more and more of its genetically-modified crops and it becomes apparent that the USA specifically (along with the UK and Canada, which tend to have similar practices) setting itself up for agricultural failure which could lead to famine. The following prophecies will affect the USA and its Anglo-Saxon descended allies:
12 They say to their mothers,”Where is grain and wine?” (Lamentations 2:12)
19 “Arise, cry out in the night, At the beginning of the watches; Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord. Lift your hands toward Him For the life of your young children, Who faint from hunger at the head of every street.” (Lamentations 2:19)
12 One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. (Ezekiel 5:12)
The fact that the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries try to deny the risks of using antibiotics in livestock, is not proof that there is no risk. Those industries have been wrong about many things in the past.
As far as personal antibiotic use, I have not used any in several decades. I do believe that antibiotics are overused for both humans and livestock.
As far as livestock goes, if livestock were raised more humanly, this would decrease the ‘need’ for antibiotics in them. Furthermore, the greed of getting everything cheaper is simply not good for human health. While some meat is healthy in the human diet, high amounts can be a risk. Hence, if not using antibiotics in livestock means a small increase in the price of meat, and people then eat less of it, that is not a bad result for most people.
Perhaps it should be pointed out that the fourth sorrow Jesus referred to in Matthew 24, like the fourth horseman of Revelation 6, involves pestilence.
While this will affect people in the USA, UK, and Canada, it will also affect people in other lands, likely before as well as after the Great Tribulation begins:
7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth. (Revelation 6:7-8)
In modern times, the spread of diseases is so much easier than in more ancient times. But some of the reasons go way back. The Apostle Paul warned:
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, (1 Timothy 6:10)
That was true then and now. Notice something Jesus said:
39 Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. (Luke 11:39)
In modern times, we have scientists and government officials who act like ‘experts’ but are affected by greed and other motivations.
It probably should also be mentioned that because of the use of antiseptics and antibiotics, modern hospitals have become breeding grounds for more difficult bacteria. A time of severe pestilences is coming.
Jesus foretold it. Greed and modern agricultural practices are setting parts of the world up for it. Europe may escape part of it.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Blood Moons and Prophecy There are four ‘blood moons’ expected in 2014 and 2015. Do they signal the Day of the Lord or the return of Jesus Christ? A related YouTube video is also available: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015.
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines and pestilences. Should we do something?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
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