The largest chicken meat producer in the United States says it will stop giving its birds antibiotics that doctors use to treat humans.Tyson Foods made the announcement April 28. It said it plans to complete the change by 2017.

美国最大的鸡肉制造商表示将停止对鸡类使用人类抗生素。Tyson食品在4月28日作此声明。并称在2017年彻底完成改革。

Health experts say over use of the medicines is part of the reason more bacteria are becoming resistant to them.

健康专家称过度使用药物是细菌抗药性增强的原因之一。

Farmers have fed livestock small amounts of antibiotics for many years. The drugs help the animals grow faster and prevent the spread of sickness among farm animals that live close together.

农场主多年来一直向家畜喂食少量抗生素，因为这种药物可以帮助家畜长得更快并且可以防止集体养殖家畜间的疾病传播。

But bacteria living in and on the animals develop and become immune to the drugs. In other words, the antibiotics no longer have any effect. These drug-resistant bacteria then enter the bodies of people who eat the birds or livestock. Then, infections in humans become more costly and difficult to treat. Sometimes, treatment does not work at all.

但是家畜体内的细菌自身会调节适应这一环境从而产生免疫性。换句话说，就是喂食抗生素对抑制细菌生长不会再有任何作用。这些抗药性细菌随后会进入食用这种家禽类食品的人类体内。从而人类感染疾病的治疗费用就会更高也更难以治愈，一些时候甚至是无法治疗的。

Donnie Smith is the president of Tyson Foods. He says the company has already begun reducing its use of antibiotics.

Donnie Smith是Tyson食品公司的主席。他说其公司已经开始减少抗生素的使用。

“As a result of our efforts, only a very small percentage of our chicken flocks receive human antibiotics today.”

通过我们的努力，现在只有非常少的一部分鸡群使用人类抗生素。

He says the company will stop giving its birds antibiotics by the end of 2017.

他说其公司将会在2017年底停止向家畜使用抗生素。

Sasha Stashwick is a policy expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and environmental group. The NRDC has been calling for an end to the use of antibiotics in animals for many years. Ms. Stashwick says other companies have recently announced their decision to end the use of the medicine in the animals they produce.

Sasha Stashwick是自然资源保护委员会和环保组织的政策专家。NRDC多年来一直呼吁停止对动物使用抗生素。Stashwick说其他公司最近也宣布了停止对其生产的肉类家畜使用抗生素。

“…we’re seeing that over a third of the industry at this point either has eliminated the use of medically-important antibiotics in its production or has made a public commitment to do so within the next few years.”

我们看到在这一点上有超过三分之一的生产商或者取消了对其产品使用抗生素或者已经公开承诺在近几年内停止使用抗生素。

While the use of antibiotics in birds and livestock is decreasing in the U.S. and Europe, it is expected to increase in the developing world. There is a growing demand for meat there. Livestock producers in those countries are using methods that require antibiotics to keep animals healthy.

在美国和欧洲地区禽类和家畜类抗生素的使用正在减少的同时，预计在发展中国家的使用情况将会上升。发展中国家的肉类需求不断上升，所以其所在国家的家畜肉类生产商需要采取措施使用抗生素来保证家畜的健康。

Ramanan Laxminarayan is the director of the Center for Disease Dynamics,Economics and Policy. He says Tyson’s announcement shows food producers can continue to operate without using the drugs.

Ramanan Laxminarayan是疾病动力中心的经济和政策主任。他说Tyson公司的声明表示生产商不使用抗生素生产工作也可以继续。

Mr. Laxminarayan says if producers provide cleaner living conditions and better nutrition for their animals, they will not need to give them antibiotics. But he says the buying public must pressure farmers to stop using the drugs.

Laxminarayan说如果生产商给家畜提供更加清洁和营养条件的话就不需要使用抗生素。但是他说大众消费者需要向生产商施压要求其停止使用抗生素。

I’m Marsha James.

VOA science correspondent Steve Baragona reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. CatyWeaver was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

antibiotic – n. a drug that is used to kill harmful bacteria and to cure infections

livestock – n. farm animals (such as cows, horses, and pigs) that are kept,raised, and used by people

immune – adj. not capable of being affected by a disease

flock – n. a group of birds or animals (such as sheep)

eliminate – v. to remove (something that is not wanted or needed)

commitment – n. a promise to do or give something

The largest chicken meat producer in the United States says it will stop giving its birds antibiotics that doctors use to treat humans.Tyson Foods made the announcement April 28. It said it plans to complete the change by 2017.

Health experts say over use of the medicines is part of the reason more bacteria are becoming resistant to them.

Farmers have fed livestock small amounts of antibiotics for many years. The drugs help the animals grow faster and prevent the spread of sickness amongfarm animals that live close together.

But bacteria living in and on the animals develop and become immune to the drugs. In other words, the antibiotics no longer have any effect. These drug-resistant bacteria then enter the bodies of people who eat the birds or livestock. Then, infections in humans become more costly and difficult to treat. Sometimes, treatment does not work at all.

Donnie Smith is the president of Tyson Foods. He says the company has already begun reducing its use of antibiotics.

“As a result of our efforts, only a very small percentage of our chicken flocks receive human antibiotics today.”

He says the company will stop giving its birds antibiotics by the end of 2017.

Sasha Stashwick is a policy expert at the Natural Resources Defense Council, and environmental group. The NRDC has been calling for an end to the use of antibiotics in animals for many years. Ms. Stashwick says other companies have recently announced their decision to end the use of the medicine in the animals they produce.

“…we’re seeing that over a third of the industry at this point either has eliminated the use of medically-important antibiotics in its production or has made a public commitment to do so within the next few years.”

While the use of antibiotics in birds and livestock is decreasing in the U.S. and Europe, it is expected to increase in the developing world. There is a growing demand for meat there. Livestock producers in those countries are using methods that require antibiotics to keep animals healthy.

Ramanan Laxminarayan is the director of the Center for Disease Dynamics,Economics and Policy. He says Tyson’s announcement shows food producers can continue to operate without using the drugs.

Mr. Laxminarayan says if producers provide cleaner living conditions and better nutrition for their animals, they will not need to give them antibiotics. But he says the buying public must pressure farmers to stop using the drugs.

I’m Marsha James.

VOA science correspondent Steve Baragona reported this story from Washington. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for Learning English. CatyWeaver was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

antibiotic – n. a drug that is used to kill harmful bacteria and to cure infections

livestock – n. farm animals (such as cows, horses, and pigs) that are kept,raised, and used by people

immune – adj. not capable of being affected by a disease

flock – n. a group of birds or animals (such as sheep)

eliminate – v. to remove (something that is not wanted or needed)

commitment – n. a promise to do or give something