Randy writes:

When I penciled out the cost of preparing and administering OTC patties as a
prophylactic treatment, and compared it to the costs of burning the few
hives a year that came down with AFB when I didn't treat, the non treatment
won out

Pretty solid math. To which I must add the information that the use of antibiotics may in fact create resistance by initiating genetic changes (NOT JUST selecting what is there).

* Sublethal Antibiotic Treatment Leads to Multidrug Resistance via Radical-Induced Mutagenesis. Michael A. Kohanski, et al. Molecular Cell 37, 311–320, February 12, 2010

> In this study, we hypothesized that ROS formation due to treatment with low levels of bactericidal antibiotics leads to an increase in mutation rates, which can result in the emergence of multidrug resistance. We thus consider a possible molecular mechanism whereby bactericidal antibiotics act as active, reactive mutagens.

> Here, we establish a radical-based molecular mechanism whereby sublethal levels of antibiotics can lead to multidrug resistance. This occurs via bactericidal antibiotic-mediated radical formation that results in the formation of mutations, some of which confer antibiotic resistance. Low-level resistance likely provides a first step toward clinically significant resistance.

Peter Loring Borst
Ithaca NY USA
peterloringborst.com

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