[PHNUTR-L] Superbugs found in chicken survey

[Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD]

Colleagues, the following is FYI and does not necessarily reflect my own
opinion. I have no further knowledge of the topic.
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  Superbugs found in chicken survey

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4142486.stm

Significant numbers of chickens on sale in UK shops are contaminated 
with superbugs, a scientific survey commissioned by BBC One's Real Story 
suggests.

Of the British-grown chickens analysed, over half were contaminated with 
multi-drug resistant E.coli which is immune to the effects of three or 
more antibiotics.

More than a third of the 147 samples, which included overseas and UK 
produced chicken, had E.coli germs resistant to the important antibiotic 
Trimethaprim which is used to treat bladder infections.

The Health Protection Agency scientists testing the meat also found 12 
chickens had antibiotic resistant Campylobacter.

And VRE, or Vancomycin Resistant Enteroccci, were in 1 in 25 of the 
samples, although more tests would be needed to confirm the exact type 
of the bug found.

	
REAL STORY:
Monday, 15 August 2005
BBC ONE, 1930 BST

No organic chickens were used - 64 were from the UK and 83 from abroad.

The survey's results could partly explain a rise in the number of women 
whose bladder infections did not respond to standard treatments, a 
medical expert told the programme.

Dr Mike Millar, the head of Infection Control at St Barts Hospital in 
London, said: "Potentially this is very worrying.

"We've known for years there've been outbreaks of bladder infections in 
different parts of the world but we haven't really known where the germs 
have been coming from.

"Potentially food could be a source."

In worst cases, bladder infections could lead to kidney damage and the 
need for renal dialysis, he said.

Anna Sawkins, who suffered from recurrent bladder infections caused by 
E.coli, told Real Story how she "went back to the doctors hundreds of 
times and nothing was getting any better".

According to the latest figures, British animals consume 15 tonnes of 
Trimethaprim a year.

However, the Health Protection Agency says the main reason E.coli has 
become resistant to the drugs we use to treat bladder infections is the 
high use of antibiotics in humans.

Campylobacters

The World Health Organisation has named antibiotic resistance as one of 
three major threats for the future.

Responding to the Real Story survey, leading WHO scientist Stuart Levy 
said: "Attention should be given to how antibiotics are used in animals 
so as to better treat them - but also to protect the spread of 
antibiotic resistant bacteria from the farms into the cities and into 
the people."

Bacteria in chicken is killed if the meat is cooked properly and 
hygienically but one in three people in the UK get food poisoning each 
year - and the most common cause of food poisoning is the bug Campylobacter.

Dr Caroline Willis, who led the team testing the chickens, said: "In 
terms of antibiotic resistance, about a quarter of the Campylobacters 
that we found were resistant to one or other of the antibiotics commonly 
used to treat it."

	There's overwhelming evidence that the main reason for antibiotic 
resistance in humans is because of the antibiotics prescribed for us 
rather than animals
British Poultry Council
With regards to the VRE found in the samples, the Health Protection 
Agency recognised the problem but pointed out that although VRE in 
chickens can lead to VRE in the human gut, it mainly only affects people 
already ill in hospital.

The British Poultry Council disputed the validity of the survey, saying 
it was not detailed enough and that previous research pointed to lower 
levels of antibiotic resistance in chicken.

Spokesman Darren Pearson said: "There's overwhelming evidence that the 
main reason for antibiotic resistance in humans is because of the 
antibiotics prescribed for us rather than animals.

"It doesn't mean to say it's not possible for antibiotic resistance to 
be transferred from animals to man but I think you've got to focus on 
where the main concern lies." Real Story: - BBC ONE on Monday 15 August 
at 1930 BST.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/programmes/real_story/4142486.stm
-- 
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar at nutritionucanlivewith.com >
"Ask the Parkinson Dietitian"  http://www.parkinson.org/
"Eat well, stay well with Parkinson's disease"
"Parkinson's disease: Guidelines for Medical Nutrition Therapy"
http://www.nutritionucanlivewith.com/