The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that “approximately 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides are used in the United States each year, with more than 20,000 pesticide products marketed” ( CDC). “Between 10,000 and 20,000 medically diagnosed pesticide poisonings occur among the 2 million U.S. farmworkers each year” (EPA). In North Carolina alone, more than 2,000 cases of pesticide poisoning are reported annually as it is a major agricultural state that uses significant amounts of pesticides. Pesticide use is regulated by federal and state law where the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regulates pesticide products and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services works to conduct oversight and protection of public health (EPI). Antimicrobial resistance, an infection resulting from resistance in bacteria, constitutes another serious health threat that could lead to diseases that are extremely difficult to treat when an organism comes into contact with it. Antibiotic-resistant infections come from germs in contaminated food or water that are resistant due to the increasing amount of antibiotic use and consumption. Antibiotics are drugs that stop the growth of bacteria and kill them to prevent diseases that are used by livestock and industry to help animals improve growth and improve feed efficiency (FDA). Antibiotic resistance is the ability of bacteria to resist the effects of antibiotics that do not kill them. they do not kill them or stop their growth, which results in many incurable diseases. Consuming antibiotics destroys different strains of various bacteria in the body, killing the weaker organisms first, whether they are harmful or not. The bacteria that survive are usually those that resist... middle of paper... and that live in the intestines of animals and humans are mostly harmless; however, a type called E. coli O157:H7 is a life-threatening strain that can lead to kidney failure, high blood pressure, or paralysis if large quantities are encountered through consumption of contaminated food or water. “In 1999, approximately 73,000 people in the United States become ill each year from E. coli and approximately 60 die” when grown (CDC). Another common food-borne bacteria is Salmonella, commonly found in chicken, eggs and other animal foods. With the growing number of outbreaks due to food contamination, government agencies and food industries are developing programs and adopting new laws in response to concerns (“Food”).