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title: This Technology Tracks Antibiotic Resistance In Food
description: The CDC just rolled out an interactive tool called NARMS that follows the spread of antibiotic resistant bugs like salmonella
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author: Alexandra Sifferlin
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article:published_time: 2015-08-20T18:55:03.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:58:05.772Z
article:section: Health
og:title: This Technology Tracks Antibiotic Resistance In Food
og:description: The CDC just rolled out an interactive tool called NARMS that follows the spread of antibiotic resistant bugs like salmonella
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17a7e4c02c28b5bc/69878152f887dcc3b0e8a58e/time-50-healthiest-foods-spinach.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# This Technology Tracks Antibiotic Resistance In Food

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EILRa37f.m3u8" -->
## Video: How $1,000 Could Help Your Health

[Watch (HLS stream): How $1,000 Could Help Your Health](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/EILRa37f.m3u8) (2:01)

![How $1,000 Could Help Your Health](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/EILRa37f/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2014-08-22. From acupuncture to yoga, $1,000 can go a long way to improving your health._


by 

[Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/)


## Alexandra Sifferlin


Aug 20, 2015 6:55 PM UTC

![healthiest foods, health food, diet, nutrition, time.com stock, spinach, greens, vegetables, salad](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt17a7e4c02c28b5bc/69878152f887dcc3b0e8a58e/time-50-healthiest-foods-spinach.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Danny Kim for TIME

by 

[Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/)


## Alexandra Sifferlin


Aug 20, 2015 6:55 PM UTC

On Wednesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rolled out a new interactive tool that allows users to follow the spread of antibiotic resistant bugs nationwide, called [NARMS (National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System) Now: Human Data](http://wwwn.cdc.gov/narmsnow/). According to the CDC, every year there are two million reported illnesses and 23,000 deaths associated with antibiotic resistant bacteria. Bacteria in our food accounts for 440,000 of those illnesses.

The CDC has long tracked the travel routes of four of the common types of bacteria transmitted through food: Campylobacter, E. coli O157, Salmonella, and Shigella. The data has already helped researchers investigate the distribution of multi drug resistant strains of salmonella and track down trends in resistance. For instance, the FDA withdrew approval for Enrofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone) in chickens after NARMS data revealed growing fluoroquinolone-resistant bacterial infections among Americans. Now the interactive database is free to the public to examine how these bugs have changed through the past 18 years.

“This is an educational tool for people who want to learn more about foodborne pathogens,” says Regan Rickert-Hartman, senior epidemiologist and program coordinator for NARMS. “This is \[also\] a good tool for health departments that are looking to compare their data to other states.”


Interactive maps, some of the most consumer-friendly aspects of the database, allow users to watch the spread and growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria like Salmonella and Campylobacter over time through the United States.

The database was launched partly in response to calls from academics, Congress and consumer groups for more transparency and better access to data on antibiotic resistance, the CDC says. Rickert-Hartman says the database is part of the agency’s response to President Obama’s [Open Government Initiative](https://www.whitehouse.gov/open) to establish more participation and open collaboration.

Though the current data only goes through 2013, Rickert-Hartman says the CDC hopes to add 2014 and 2015 data by the end of the year.


## Transcript

[00:05] [ MUSIC ] $ 1, 000 can really put you on the road to
[00:07] good health, or at least to better health. A lot of
[00:11] workers say that they're really stressed, unless
[00:13] productive. But half of workers say that stress makes
[00:17] them less productive at work. And there are a lot of
[00:20] studies that show that people who are more stressed
[00:23] have higher medical bills. And that makes sense. If you
[00:26] are stressed you may miss more work. You may go, go
[00:28] to doctor more often. So if you can invest $ 1000, you
[00:31] can really improve your health and lower your own
[00:34] costs. Yoga is a great way to reduce stress. It helps
[00:37] you with deep breathing, relaxation exercises. And a
[00:40] mindfulness that can really reduce your tension. Yoga
[00:44] classes cost about $ 15 to $ 20 each, at, that would
[00:47] get you doing downward dog about twice a week for
[00:50] six months. Acupuncture is another great way to
[00:53] reduce stress. It may be covered by your health
[00:55] insurance, so check that first. If not, acupuncture
[00:58] sessions cost about $ 16 to $ 120. Modern exercise
[01:03] has been proven as a great way to reduce stress. To
[01:06] incorporate it on a regular basis in your busy life,
[01:10] consider riding your bike to and from work. Or, taking
[01:14] a bike ride when you get home from work in the
[01:15] evening. Now, a good bike can cost you $ 1000. But
[01:19] think of it as a long- term investment, a good bike will
[01:22] last you many. If you have 10 thousand dollars, there's
[01:25] a lot you can do to invest in your health. A personal
[01:28] trainer, may give you the motivation you need to
[01:31] exercise, that you might not be able to do on your
[01:33] own. That costs you about 50 dollars a session, which
[01:37] could give you about 100 sessions, that you could
[01:40] spread out over two years. Another great way to. T
[01:43] find someone to motivate you is to consult a
[01:45] nutritionist. A first- time session with a nutitionist will
[01:47] cost about $ 150. But, if you wanna do follow- up
[01:51] sessions, to create say a health plan to see how you're
[01:54] doing, that'll cost you about $ 100. See if your health
[01:57] insurance may cover that, as well. [ MUSIC ]

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