Superbug Gene Found on Pig Farm

NBC News reports, “Researchers have found a rare and frightening superbug gene on a U.S. pig farm and say their discovery suggests raw meat could carry the dangerous germs into the human population” (December 6, 2016). According to the report, the gene imparts bacteria with resistance to carbapenems, a family of antibiotics used in “last resort” cases when nothing else will work. Any bacteria able to resist this antibiotic—such as the suberbug, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), which kills up to half of those infected—would potentially represent an extreme danger to human life. The NBC News article emphasizes that researchers are concerned about the possibility that those who handle such meat, even if they themselves don’t become infected, may become carriers of deadly germs who could accidentally expose others.

God made it clear long ago that there were certain meats to avoid in our human diet, including pork (Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14:3-21). It should be no surprise that people experience negative results when God’s health laws are ignored. For more information, read our article “Biblical Principles of Health.”