I’ve been writing about the antibiotic-resistant bacteria strain called MRSA for a while. Evidence is mounting that by regularly dumping strong antibiotics into the feed rations of confined hogs, the meat industry is creating virulent bacteria strains that infect humans.
Well, I knew antibiotic abuse by industrial meat producers was a serious problem, but it always seemed a bit abstract to me. No more. Get this, from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer’s editorial page:
Three of the NFL’s biggest stars have been tackled by something so small it can be seen only under a microscope. Cleveland Browns’ star Kellen Winslow, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots and Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts have been sidelined with bacterial infections this season, according to news reports.
These high-profile cases remind us that hard-to-treat bacterial infections are, unfortunately, part of a wider and more troubling trend.
For you unfortunate souls who reside in caves, Tom Brady isn’t just the (hobbled) quarterback for the NFL’s storied New England Patriots. He also occupies an even more central position in our culture: boyfriend to Gisele Bündchen, the globe’s richest supermodel.
What if Brady gives his cooties to the divine Gisele?!!??? Now that Gisele is endangered, I think we can all endorse this statement from The Plain-Dealer:
As Winslow, Brady and Manning know, the best defense is a good offense. That means directly tackling the problem of antibiotic misuse where it’s found: on the factory farms.
