Wisconsin Rivers Near Dairy Farms Show 70% Multi-Drug-Resistant E. coli

A UCLA study in the Journal of Hazardous Materials found that about 70% of E. coli strains from waterways near dairy CAFOs in eastern Wisconsin were resistant to multiple antibiotics, versus 8% at control lake sites. Resistance peaked in spring, likely tied to seasonal manure application.

• 70% of E. coli near CAFOs were multi-drug resistant, versus 8% at control sites
• Wisconsin has more than 300 CAFOs, nearly all dairy operations
• US sales of medically important livestock antibiotics rose 16% in a single year
• Antibiotic resistance kills an estimated 1.3 million people globally each year