ABSTRACT
Much has been written about the threat to human health posed by antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens (see, for example, Davies, 1996). Most scientists agree that the main factor contributing to the rise of antibiotic resistance is the abuse and overuse of antibiotics by physicians to treat or prevent human disease. But is this the only factor contributing to the rise of resistance? Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be found in the environment and in the intestines of humans who have not received antibiotics (Salyers and Amabile-Cuevas, 1997). The distribution of resistant strains in nature suggests that use of antibiotics in hospitals and in clinics is not the only factor contributing to the rise in incidence of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Another setting in which large quantities of antibiotics are used is agriculture (McDonald et al., 1997; WHO Report, 1997; IOM report, 1988).
