As the fear of bio-terrorism mounts, tell Bayer to help stop antibiotic
resistance.
Petition Target: Helge H. Wehmeier, President and CEO of Bayer
Corporation
Environmental Defense and the Campaign to Keep Antibiotics Working is a
coalition of health, agriculture and environmental organizations,
challenging the Bayer Corporation to help slow the spread of antibiotic
resistance and extend the usefulness of antibiotics. The Bayer Corporation,
widely known for manufacturing Cipro® and Bayer Aspirin, is putting
everyone's health at risk by refusing to comply with a proposed Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) ban on the use of Bayer's antibiotic, Baytril®,
in treating sick poultry. The FDA has determined that using Baytril® in
poultry farming contributes to the development of antibiotic resistance in
bacteria that infect humans.
The American Medical Association and other health groups have called on
Bayer to comply with the proposed FDA ban, but to date Bayer hasn't
complied. Instead, it continues to sell Baytril(R) to poultry farmers,
further promoting the spread of resistant bacteria.
Don't let Bayer "play chicken" with our health! Help us slow the spread of
antibiotic-resistant bacteria and extend the usefulness of antibiotics by
sending this petition to Helge H. Wehmeier, President and CEO of Bayer
Corporation, telling him to comply with the proposed Baytril(R) ban.
Petition Target: Helge H. Wehmeier, President and CEO of Bayer
Corporation
I am very concerned that Bayer has refused to comply with a proposed Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) ban on the use of Bayer's antibiotic,
Baytril(R), in treating chickens and turkeys.
Baytril(R) is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Fluoroquinolones are considered
one of the most valuable classes of antibiotic drugs available to
physicians because of their effectiveness against a broad range of
disease-causing bacteria and relative lack of side effects. They are the
antibiotics most often used to treat severe cases of food poisoning caused
by bacteria.
The FDA determined that using Baytril(R) in poultry farming contributes to
the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria that infect humans.
Bayer's decision to put profits over public health is putting us all at risk.
In the interest of public health, the Bayer Corporation should immediately
withdraw Baytril(R) from the market and drop its appeal of the proposed FDA
ban on its use in poultry.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned.
