





No one knows how Simon contracted the bacteria. He had never been to a hospital, once thought to be the primary incubators of MRSA. He had a robust immune system. He wasn’t in child care. He had no cuts through which the bacteria could infect him. The germs that killed him were “community-acquired” MRSA-CA, meaning that he came in contact with them through everyday living, as opposed to “hospital-acquired” MRSA, a strain that is associated with medical centers and nursing homes.

While it remains unclear how MRSA infected Simon, what is known is that these antibiotic‑resistant bacteria are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the incidence of MRSA in the United States more than doubled between 1999 and 2005, from 127,000 to 280,000, and MRSA-related deaths rose from 11,200 to 17,200. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that while the quantity of antibiotics given to humans has remained stable, the amount fed to livestock has soared. According to Food and Drug Administration records, antibiotic use on farms grew from about 18 million pounds in 1999 to nearly 30 million pounds in 2011.

Next: Why Livestock Are Fed Antibiotics »

Get a full year of EatingWell magazine.