SOME LIFESAVING solutions are so simple and obvious that they remain hidden in plain sight. This is particularly true for livestock disease treatments that have evolved over generations through experiences of communities, withstood the test of time, are embodied in local culture and practices and yet, the knowledge remains untapped in the absence of standardisation and scientific validation. More often than not, dairy farmers, and some field veterinarians, indiscriminately use antibiotics for treating even common infections in animals.
Researchers with Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found evidence of such rampant misuse and overuse of antibiotics in 2020 and 2021, during consultations with dairy farmers and experts from various sectors such as animal husbandry, food safety, human health. They had observed that most dairy farmers skip the critical withdrawal period-a prescribed number of days during which the treated animal should be excluded from the milk supply chain to allow antibiotic residues to be excreted out of its body. In 2018, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had also found antibiotic residues in milk samples.
Such abuse of antibiotics not only adds to the treatment costs, but also increases the burden of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Interaction between antibiotic residues and pathogens in various environmental matrices (soil and water) and in living organisms can lead to formation and spread of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. A comprehensive global study published in peer-reviewed journal The Lancet in January 2022, estimates that infections caused by these antibiotic-resistant bacteria played a part in the deaths of 4.95 million people in 2019 alone.
Denne historien er fra December 01, 2022-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra December 01, 2022-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
