http://www.care2.com/greenliving/keep-yourself-safe-from-superbugs.html
7 Ways to Keep Yourself Safe from Superbugs
By Katy Farber, Green Options
We all know factory farming is bad for the environment, and we’re finding more and more evidence suggesting it’s bad for our health, as well. MSNBC just published a piece about the superbugs in meat; they found that superbugs cause dangerous and sometimes lethal viruses in the people who work in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants, and in surrounding areas. Read the article for the full story.
I was shocked to read that anyone can buy antibiotics without a prescription and add them to feed for farm animals. Often, these are the same drugs we take when we are sick. Is it any wonder viruses are becoming resistant to these very same, overused antibiotics?
And why should we be allowing factory farming in the first place? In these farms, animals are in such miserable close quarters, which lead to the spreading of disease and the resulting dependency on antibiotics.
Aside from being a vegetarian, which I heartily recommend, here are some ways to keep yourself safe from these superbugs (from MSNBC):
Shop smarter
1. Look for the USDA organic seal. Organic meat might be less likely to have antibiotic-resistant or disease-causing organisms, as the animal hasn’t been fed antibiotics, hormones to promote growth, or animal by-products. Other labels, such as no antibiotics added, are not verified by independent testing.
2. Log on to eatwellguide.org to search for listings of stores and restaurants that offer no-antibiotic-use, grass-fed, or organic meats.
3. Stock up on nonmeat protein sources such as beans, lentils, and tofu and swap them in for meat now and then. Visit prevention.com/veggies for recipe ideas.
Cook safer
4. Wash your hands with hot, soapy water before and after you prep meat. Never touch raw meat and then your nose, as MRSA [a type of bacteria infection resistant to most antibiotics], thrives on skin and in nasal passages.
5. Keep scrapes and cuts covered with waterproof bandages or use rubber gloves. MRSA and other pathogens can use the openings as entry points.
6. Clean cutting boards and utensils that come in contact with meat with hot, soapy water to avoid cross-contamination.
7. Make [your meat] well-done to kill MRSA and other foodborne bacteria: For pork and beef, the internal temp should be 170°F; for chicken, 165°F.
It’s time to stand up to factory farming and the lobbyists that support it. It isn’t safe for workers, consumers or the environment.
Click here to take action against the use of antibiotics on healthy farm animals.
Green Options Media is a network of environmentally-focused blogs providing users with the information needed to make sustainable choices. Written by experienced professionals, Green Options Media’s blogs engage visitors with authoritative content, compelling discussions, and actionable advice. We invite anyone with questions, or simply curiosity, to add their voices to the community, and share their approaches to achieving abundance.
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13 comments
add your comment »Thanks for the tips.
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why is this inappropriate?
OMG!
I have a simpler solution ;)
Avoid all meat :D
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You can get bacteria from organic produce by the way - they use animal manure to fertilize, also wild animals can get onto the field and defecate on the plants. Not to mention the conditions the farm workers are in where there are no toilets or hand washing facilities.
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why is this inappropriate?
This is more evidence that factory slaughterhouses, and factory farming in general, are a danger to our health. If you can't afford organic, locally grown meat, the best thing to do for your health (and everyone else's) is to avoid meat altogether.
What's really scary is that MRSA is now on our beaches:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32813802/ns/health/
I am guessing that runoff from factory farms is one of the causes of the spread. Ick!
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why is this inappropriate?
While I doubt the vegan view of not eating meat will soon be popularly perceived as other than an esthetic concern - by this unabashed omnivore anyway - root vegetables are not a part of the 'fast food franchise'. If they were it might be less damaging. Filling up on over processed 'sanitized' monoculture of any kind is more than just at risk from natural selection taking advantage of opportunity - essential nutrients and mine3rals are bound to be missing. This is in addition to literally culturing diseases in factory 'farming' processes which depend on known unclean and unsafe toxic formulations.
Now for the bad news. The water supply that everyone is suggesting be used to 'clean up' itself is wrecked. I've been following other Care2 members as well as outside sources on this mega-mess for a while now.
I suggest you have a look at JanforGore's posts on Current. After that, it will be less controversial to look at some of the information I have collected with an appreciation that 'making things up' is not required.
http://opitslinkfest.blogspot.com/2009/07/water-wealth-power.html
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one of those articles seen once then nothing more on it since... in the new york times 2007 was said that the leading killer of people in america is now iatrogenics, that is, 'medically caused.' the usual malpractice surgeries; the massive overprescription/misprescription problem (now killing 12x more people than all illegal drugs combined...) but the big one is the superbugs and superstaph. this article stated flatly that these combined killed 730,000 americans in 2006; more than all cancers or heart attacks. it went on to say that this was soaring so drastically that by 2015, it would be killing more americans than cancers and heart problems combined. one related article i saw last year said that over 300 hospitals were being closed due to their being public health menaces. some hospitals now have warning signs at their entrances...
there is the tragic abuse of antibiotics since 1950 which has brought us to what even the wall street journal now says is the brink of the post-antibiotic age. who will this kill the most? kids.
perhaps more to the point, as paul virillio wrote in the brilliant 1980s 'pure war;' ANY HOSPITAL OR HOSPITAL LAB IS A CBW LAB IN PROGRESS. with what we call health care; what we call food and the corporate makers of the worst drugs on earth acting in tandem we're seeing a bizarre disaster evolving.
bright side? got 5 billion too many humans on earth... at least these things aren't a 'final solution' eugenics-style democide.
best tip? run, hi
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I'm glad to see that the reference to viruses becoming antibiotic resistant was caught by Tanya G. as well as the fact that vegetarians can also get bacteria from their foods, even organic ones. Bacteria are naturally occuring in the soil, you should always wash your veggies!! Even if you have compost that heats up and kills all the bacteria growing in there, do you think that there isn't any little critters running through your organic veggie patch? C. Difficile is just one of the naturally occuring bacteria in our soils, mind you most people won't get sick if their immune systems are healthy.
I agree with reducing meat consumption and chosing wisely what we buy - support your farmers - or grow your own and learn the value and hard work required for a garden. There is nothing more satisfying that enjoying the veggies of your labor!
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Actually, there was a suggestion to go veg., "Aside from being a vegetarian, which I heartily recommend...". And, yes, you can get things like E. Coli from greens. HOWEVER you CANNOT get E. Coli from ORGANIC greens, which is why she so strongly suggested eating organically. Do you know how it is that E. Coli gets on conventional greens??? They fertilize the greens by spraying it with raw (yes, raw) factory farm sewage. They don't let it sit for a year or so to become perfectly safe compost because their business is about bigger, faster, more. This is why in the spring and late summer you can smell raw animal sewage in the air when you are near crop fields.
This and what David Harmon mentioned in his comment is all covered in the movie Food Inc. I HIGHLY recommend that everyone see this so they know where their food comes from and can make educated food choices (because they aren't being made for us as the food industry is trying to make us believe). Visit http://www.foodincmovie.com/ to check for local movie times and locations (no, I am not affiliated with this movie in any way. I just saw it and was deeply moved by it).
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I feel this is just more proof of how bad the government and big money corps are when it comes to actual safty control. Due to the loss of independant farmers in this country we import vegies/ fruits from other 3rd world countries(the plan) where the restroom is the ditch or water run off area next to the growing produce. The plants ABSORB this waste. Thus the infection happens. FACT. Sorry. As for the meat industry, well we have long known mass production with chemicals is the problem. The need for more and more food is drivin by some stupid idea the human race is dwindling thus procreation is surging. Higher need for food is the cause for the intervention of chemicals, causing contamination. PRO-CREATION push in this country does not help the problems. It causes a big rise in DEMAND. Until we see the need to slow the pro-creative push and accept it as logical exsistance, our food and water will continue to become worse, less and soon to be under Government total control. Disagree? Check who really backs / controls all the corps. producing food in the USA. See how they crushed and then bought out the independant farms in america. Mass production has killed the tastes and nutrients of Vegies / fruits. I remember when Bananas taste like Bananas without the hard center black areas and lasted a long time.Of course the produce guy back then did not dump them out of the boxs brusing them all. They Had pride. REMEMBER you HEARD IT HERE FROM ME........
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Brook's comment below shows a fundamental ignorance about our food chain. Vegetarians aren't safe from food borne bacteria either.
We're had outbreaks of e.coli from sprouts and spinach, and hepatitis A outbreak from green onions, just to name a couple of VEGETABLE caused food-sickness epidemics. You may not eat meat but factory farming still affects what you eat.
Everyone needs to be cautious and alert about their food. Just "going veg" isn't going to keep you safe.
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