superbugs and oilsRecently, the Obama administration  issued a detailed plan to address the issue of antibiotic resistance. This plan was developed by a designated task force under the consideration of an executive order and a report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. (1) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year.” (2) These superbugs also threaten animal health and agriculture, according to the White House.” (1)

Among the milestones and detailed goals for decreasing the devastating consequences of this issue, I found a very exciting aspect. According to Medscape,  “Under research and development, the plan calls for the characterization of the gut microbiome of at least one animal species raised for food to potentially treat bacterial diseases without antibiotics, and at least three new probiotic therapies for animals by 2020.” (1)

I have written about the role of essential oils in inhibiting unwanted microbes, including resistant ones, and how they may also modulate healthy microbiota balance. Last month, I wrote another article featured in the NaturalPath titled, “The Scary News On Super-Resistant SuperBugs & How Essential Oils May Help.”

You can read it here and learn about:

  • The Many Constituents of Essential Oils
  • The Actions of Essential Oils
  • Essential Oils & Microbe Inhibition

Maybe the White House will catch on about how some farmers are already using essential oils for their animals, as reported by The Atlantic.

References:

(1) Ault, A. White House Releases Action Plan on Antibiotic Resistance. Medscape Medical News. March 27, 2015.

(2) Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013. July 2014. CDC Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/. Accessed February 9, 2015.