We need to fight antibiotic resistance in Connecticut

Right now, health professionals across the country are talking with their patients about the importance of antibiotic use as part of World Antibiotic Awareness Week (Nov. 12–18). Connecticut residents are already grappling with antibiotic resistant infections, which are difficult, and sometimes impossible, to treat.

At the end of last month, an outbreak of drug-resistant Salmonella made national headlines. This outbreak affected nearly 100 people, including a Connecticut resident. In September, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter, another foodborne stomach bug, that sickened two Connecticut residents. Resistance to our life-saving antibiotics is not a problem of the future. Drug-resistant bacteria are here now and they’re making people in Connecticut sick.

How can you help protect yourself and your loved ones from antibiotic resistance? By driving down the cause of the problem: overuse.

When you’re sick and visiting your health care provider, be sure to ask whether antibiotics are really needed. In addition to contributing to antibiotic resistance, each prescription comes

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are not a threat of the future. They are in Connecticut and they’re making people sick. Now is not just the time for building awareness, but for you to take meaningful action to protect yourself and your loved ones from these “superbugs.”

with the risk of side effects such as rash, diarrhea, and yeast infections. There is significant progress to be made in this area, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that at least 30 percent of antibiotics prescribed in outpatient settings, like doctor’s offices, are unnecessary.

Another major contributor to this problem is the overuse of antibiotics in livestock. Approximately 70 percent of all medically important antibiotics sold in the United States are intended for use in agriculture. Since farmers are dealing with flocks or herds of animals, the administration of these antibiotics tends to be through water or feed, affecting many or all of the animals at once. Again, the resistant bacteria are better able to emerge and cause problems after the weaker bacteria are killed off by antibiotics. This makes the “shotgun approach” to drug administration used in agriculture particularly problematic.

Even people who’ve never set foot on a farm can help address this problem by making informed decisions about the food they purchase. You should support only producers that do not routinely use antibiotics to raise animals, or restaurants that only source from these responsible producers

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are not a threat of the future. They are in Connecticut and they’re making people sick. Now is not just the time for building awareness, but for you to take meaningful action to protect yourself and your loved ones from these “superbugs.” Hold your doctor accountable and see that antibiotics are only being prescribed when truly needed and consider the use of antibiotics when choosing where your food dollars go. This is a winnable battle, but only if we take meaningful action now.