European Antibiotic Awareness Day

Veterinary charity PDSA and The Bella Moss Foundation have teamed up to support European Antibiotic Awareness Day (November 18).

What are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are amazing things, after being discovered purely by accident by Sir Alexander Flemming in 1928, they have revolutionised medicine and veterinary medicine.

Bacteria enters animal and human bodies everyday, the majority of the bacteria is harmless.  However some release toxins (poisons) as they grow or when they die. The toxins can destroy animal cells or interfere with cell function, causing diseases like tuberculosis or mastitis.

Antibiotics work by fighting bacteria either by killing them or by preventing them from multiplying.

There are many different types of antibiotics.  Different antibiotics may treat different things.  For example, whilst I was on a pig placement, all the sows that farrowed (gave birth) got an injection of Norocillin, a common antibiotic, that would cure any small stomach upsets or minor problems.  However, if they had something more major, they would receive an injection of Pen and Strep, a more expensive and more effective antibiotic.  It was more effective as less bacteria were resistant to it, so it would kill or halt the bacteria.

So why do we need an Antibiotic Awareness Day?

The problem is that random mutations cause antibiotics to become resistant and antibiotics are becoming resistant at an alarmingly quick rate.  Think about it this way... one bacterium randomly mutates so it is resistant to that antibiotic.  All the other bacteria are killed or prevented from multiplying by the antibiotic, so the resistant bacterium survives and reproduce.  So yes you or your animal may feel better but you will then fall ill again and pass on this resistant strain.  The antibiotic used will then be ineffective to that strain of bacteria... 

This then leads to bacterium like MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) a bacterium that is resistant to the majority of antibiotics and is therefore incredibly difficult to treat!  Think about it this way... one bacterium randomly mutates so it is resistant to that antibiotic.  Therefore all the other bacteria are ]]You can help by:

•  If your vet prescribes antibiotics, please give them in accordance to the instructions on the label and please make sure the full course is given (even if your pet looks better, it will hopefully make sure the resistant strain does not spread.

• Do not give the antibiotics to another animal.

• Try and keep your animal healthy by exercise, good nutrition, having vaccinations and having regular veterinary health checks.

For more information please visit: http://www.thebellamossfoundation.com/pet-carers/use-of-antibiotics/

Or sign up to become an antibiotic guardian to support the pledge at: www.antibioticguardian.com