Ebola's Dirty Cousin

In the news lately, there has been an uproar over outbreaks of Ebola in Africa, and the possibility of a catastrophic spread to the U.S. However, while the vast majority of Americans will never come in contact with Ebola, there is another threat to this country which is spreading at an even faster pace.

According to a report published by the American Public Health Association, “the number of farms raising animals for food have decreased” while “the number of animals being raised remains about level, with large, centralized farm operations packing in as many animals as possible” (Krisberg par. 6). While this practice is regarded to be more economical, it is far less sanitary. With low levels of light and high temperatures, these environments are the perfect place for diseases to flourish, and they do.

Danielle Nierenberg explains in her book Happier Meals that “nearly 2 billion people worldwide rely on livestock to support part or all of their daily needs” (Nierenberg 8). This statistic is a testament to how dependent people, not just in America but all over the world, have become on meat.

GIF courtesy of Imgur.com

According to experts, it is becoming increasingly more apparent how “overuse of antibiotics, crowded and unsanitary livestock conditions, unnatural feed diets, and a lack of diversification are responsible for some serious global health risks” (Nickelsburg par. 1). Diseases like E.coli are thriving under these conditions.

In her book, Nierenberg reiterates what all the other sources have been saying, that “factory farms are the perfect conditions for disease to spread from livestock to people…” She states that “epidemiologists are warning of a potentially massive outbreak of disease in congested urban areas near factory farms” (Nierenberg 33).

This is not simply a few isolated cases of E.coli being found in lettuce. The consequences are becoming too great to avoid.

Former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Michael Blackwell acknowledges that “long-term success will depend on the nation's ability to transform from an industrial economy that depends on quickly diminishing resources to one that is more sustainable, employing renewable resources and understanding of how all food production affects public health and the  environment" (Krisberg par. 13). If this problem can be stopped before it becomes and even more serious epidemic, other states need to follow the example being set.

The debate over what food people choose to consume will continue to grow as long as people continue to eat and enjoy food. Throughout the last century, the growth of factory farming has changed this from an argument of taste into one with much more drastic consequences. With the increase in harmful diseases, the American population is at risk, and the government needs to impose regulations on the conditions under which the things we eat are produced.

Works Cited

Krisberg, Kim. "Report: U.S. industrial farming endangers health, environment: practices promote disease, contamination." The Nation's Health Aug. 2008: 1+. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Nickelsburg, Monica. "5 Modern Diseases Grown by Factory Farming." The Week. The Week, 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Nierenberg, Danielle, Mastny, Lisa, and Worldwatch Institute. Happier Meals : Rethinking the Global Meat Industry (2005). Print.