by John Aitken and Kevin Taylor
The following abstract accompanied an oral presentation at a New Zealand veterinary conference in 2014, and it was a fair summary of our thinking at the time. Most of the problems outlined in the article have since been addressed by us. In addition, the contributing group has expanded considerably.
by Dr. William Chamberlin
On July 26, 2016, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning regarding the use of antibiotics in the fluoroquinolone class. These include levofloxacin (Levaquin), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), ciprofloxacin extended-release tablets, moxifloxacin (Avelox), ofloxacin and gemifloxacin (Factive).
Two of these drugs (levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin) are sometimes prescribed to treat Crohn’s disease via a pathogen model (AMAT). However, the risks associated with the fluoroquinolone class of medications are serious. Because of this, I will no longer recommend the use of levofloxacin or ciprofloxacin for the treatment of Crohn’s disease, except in extreme cases where the benefits may outweigh the serious risks.
Veterinary medicine and animal agriculture had our chance to deal with paratuberculosis before it became an epidemic. Today, 121 years since Heinrich Albert Johne described paratuberculosis in a Guernsey cow in Germany, well over half of all dairy herds in virtually all major dairy-producing countries are infected with M. paratuberculosis. It is almost certain that humans are becoming infected and that the most probable means of infection is via the food supply.
Read more about the facts, predictions and what can be done to control M. paratuberculosis in Dr. Michael T. Collins’ 2016 World Buiatrics Congress Keynote Address.
The Crohns Infection is dedicated to providing the most up-to-date information in our field to assist patients around the world in making informed decisions about their treatment. We are grateful for the support of this community and look forward to taking this journey together.
Here are some of the most recent developments in the area of MAP related Crohn’s Research. Enjoy!
The Crohn’s Infection is pleased to announce the newly created Dietzia Foundation! From their website, “Dietzia Foundation is a publicly supported nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting scientific medical research in the field of gastroenterology. Specifically, we support those trying to develop preventative or therapeutic treatments for gastrointestinal dysbiosis associated diseases like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and others.”
It doesn’t seem possible, but on June 21, 2016, The Crohn’s Infection site will officially be one year old. Join us as we highlight some of the key site features and enter our first site contest. Thanks for coming to the party!
