Delving into antimicrobial resistance  animal care and health
Delving into antimicrobial resistance  Here’s a look at what it
is and why it’s important to us.  By Hans Coetzee The author is
in the Department of Clinical Sciences, Kansas State University,
Manhattan. This article is part of a series being prepared in
cooperation with the American Association of Bovine
Practitioners.  Antimicrobial resistance is the inability to
successfully treat an infection because the bacteria causing the
disease are not susceptible to the effects of the antibiotic. It
is considered one of the most critical public health issues of
the 21st century.  It is significant that legislators are
becoming concerned that antimicrobial use in livestock can
contribute to the emergence and spread of resistance bacteria in
humans. These concerns were recently manifested in the
Preservation of Antimicrobials for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA)
introduced into the U.S. House (H.R. 1549) and Senate (S. 619).
The bills require the FDA to re-re