"That having been said," he continued, "any widespread use of antimicrobials increases the risk" that resistance to those drugs will spread. The report lists in its "serious threat" category several kinds of bacteria — notably salmonella and Campylobacter — that have become resistant to drugs that are widely used on the farm, as well as in hospitals. And the report includes a graphic that clearly connects antibiotic use on animals drug-resistant infections in humans.

Critics of antibiotic use on the farm had mixed reactions to the report. The Center for Science in the Public Interest sounded disappointed, saying that the CDC "missed an opportunity" to issue clear recommendations on reducing reduce antibiotic use in animal production.

Two other groups — the Pew Campaign on Human Health and Industrial Farming and the Natural Resources Defense Council — praised the report for clearly stating that drug use on the farm adds to the problem of antibiotic resistance, even if it may not be the most important cause of that problem.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

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CDC: Deadliest Drug Resistance Comes From Hospitals, Not Farms