10 Things to Know About… Bacteria
Bacteria are one of Earth’s oldest life forms - dating back over three billion years. They are masters of survival and good bacteria help nature function, but some bacteria cause infection and can be deadly.
A century ago, scientists developed the power of antibiotics to kill harmful bacteria with remarkable precision. But bacteria evolve quickly, and some can now resist the very medicines that were created to fight them, making antimicrobial resistance one of the greatest global health threats.
Presenter Kathriona Devereux and Edgar Garcia Manzanilla, Teagasc.
Antibiotic use in agriculture is a significant factor in the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance and reducing antibiotic use on farms is a critical step. In the final episode of this series of the 10 Things to Know About… television show, presenters meet the researchers, vets and farmers working together for constructive and meaningful change and discuss the ‘One Health’ concept – that human, animal and environmental health are all connected – which is critical to tackling this crisis.
Edgar Garcia Manzanilla, Head of Teagasc’s Pig and Poultry Department describes what strides have been taken in this area: “Over the last 10 years, all the Irish stakeholders have collaborated in two National Action Plans to quantify, understand and rationalise the use of antibiotics, thereby reducing the total amount used and avoiding the use in animals of those antibiotics that are of critical importance for the treatment of human patients.”
Alison Burrell, Animal Health Ireland.
Alison Burrell, Health Psychologist with Animal Health Ireland (AHI) adds: “The AMU-FARM project has provided communication skills to the professionals who support farmers, to meet them where they currently are, explore where they would like to get to, give advice and put farmers at the centre of any on-farm changes.”
This episode also features Niamh Hogan, Veterinary Surgeon, Summerhill Veterinary Clinic and Mella Briscoe, a dairy farmer in Galway.
Dairy farmer Mella Briscoe with presenter Kathriona Devereux and veterinarian Niamh Hogan.
Also in this episode, 10 Things to Know About… investigates some of the reasons for the increase in antibiotic resistance and meets researchers looking to develop a vaccination against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In addition, the episode explores the latest technology being developed to tackle bacteria strongholds in healthcare settings and limit the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater.
Tune into Monday’s episode of 10 Things to Know About… Bacteria (Monday, 15th December at 8.30pm on RTÉ One).
Teagasc researchers have appeared in previous episodes of 10 Things to Know About, which are available to watch back on RTÉ Player