Drug-resistant food poisonings may be on the increase due to an antibiotic widely used to treat respiratory problems in factory-farmed chickens. Poultry intended for slaughter are widely treated with the antibiotic Baytril, produced by the Bayer corporation. Critics of Baytril, including officials at the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the FDA, contend that the wide use of Baytril in chickens is creating antibiotic resistance in strains of the Campylobacter bacteria, the most common source of food poisoning in the US, causing an estimated 2.4 million cases and 13,000 hospitalizations per year.

The latest CDC statistics show a marked increase in the number of cases that are untreatable by human antibiotics like Cipro (also manufactured by Bayer), which closely resemble Baytril. The FDA has recommended withdrawing approval for the use of Baytril. A hearing is scheduled for April in which Bayer is expected to appeal (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 11-20-02 "Drug for chickens blamed for harder-to-treat food poisonings")

In other Bayer-related news, Reuters reported recently that Bayer is under antitrust investigation in both the EU and the US. Raids on Bayer offices were conducted in Europe last September. The European Commission said the raids were conducted to "ascertain whether there is evidence of a cartel agreement and related illegal practices concerning price fixing for rubber chemicals." The Crompton Corporation in the US is under investigation for allegations of similar price-fixing schemes.

The Washington Free Press
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