Science Current Events | Science News | Brightsurf.com
 
Email a Friend Send to a friend
Printer Friendly Print Poultry consumption, handling are risk factors for antibiotic resistance in humans

Poultry consumption, handling are risk factors for antibiotic resistance in humans

October 11, 2006

Marshfield, Wis. - Antibiotic use as a livestock growth promoter increases the risk of human antibiotic resistance, a Marshfield Clinic researcher and his colleagues have found.

Results of the nearly $1.4 million three-year study, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, are in the November 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases.




Edward Belongia, M.D., Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation, Marshfield, Wis., and his colleagues examined poultry exposure as a risk factor for antibiotic resistance in Enterococcus faecium, a gut bacterium that is increasingly the cause of infections in hospitals. The investigation team focused on use of a growth-promoting antibiotic, called virginiamycin, in poultry.

Virginiamycin is closely related to quinupristin-dalfopristin, an antibiotic licensed to treat patients with serious, antibiotic-resistant infections. The drug is prescribed under the brand name Synercid. According to Belongia, "There is a relative lack of data on the impact of antibiotic use in livestock and its relationship to antibiotic resistance in humans, but there is a fair amount of indirect evidence suggesting that antibiotic use could pose a risk to human health."

"We've known for a long time that resistant bacteria can be found on retail poultry products, but our study is one of the first to show an association between human carriage of antibiotic resistance genes and eating poultry or handling raw poultry.

"These results indicate that virginiamycin use in poultry leads to transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to human gut bacteria through the food supply and they provide additional evidence that use of growth promoters in animals may have long-term consequences for human health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can use this information to improve its risk assessment procedures."

The importance of this issue was illustrated by a recent FDA Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee meeting about an application to license a broad spectrum antibiotic, called cefquinome, for use in cattle. Belongia spoke at the hearings, representing the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

"There was a great deal of concern that this antibiotic could promote resistance to cephalosporin drugs that are essential for many patients with serious or life-threatening infections," Belongia said, "and at the end of the day the FDA committee recommended against the drug. Our study focused on a different drug in a different type of animal, but this is a timely example of the controversy regarding the appropriate use of antibiotics in food-producing animals.

"We need to have drugs to treat sick animals," he added, "but we should not be using antibiotics to promote growth."

Working with Belongia, as principal investigator, were members of the Marshfield Enterococcal Study Group-Amy L. Kieke, Ph.D., Mark A. Borchardt, Ph.D., Burney A. Kieke, Susan K. Spencer and Mary F. Vandermause; and Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, Minnesota-Kirk E. Smith and Selina L. Jawahir. Amy Kieke was the first author on the published paper. Borchardt directed laboratory activities to detect antibiotic resistance and resistance genes. Belongia and colleagues posed the question: Does exposing poultry to virginiamycin lead to Synercid-resistant E. faecium in humans?

They isolated E. faecium in stool samples from 105 newly-hospitalized patients and 65 healthy vegetarians, as well as in 77 samples of conventional retail poultry and 23 antibiotic-free poultry meat samples.

After exposure to virginiamycin, E. faecium from conventional poultry and from patients who consumed poultry became resistant to Synercid more often than E. faecium from vegetarians or from antibiotic-free poultry. Some of the resistance was attributed to a specific gene and both the gene and resistance were associated with touching raw poultry meat and frequent poultry consumption.

Laboratory tests showed the bacteria isolated from patients and vegetarians had no pre-existing resistance to Synercid. Resistance was rare among antibiotic-free poultry but a majority of bacterial isolates from conventional poultry samples were resistant.

Marshfield Clinic



Related Antibiotic Resistance Current Events and Antibiotic Resistance News Articles Antibiotic Resistance Current Events and Antibiotic Resistance News RSS Antibiotic Resistance Current Events and Antibiotic Resistance News RSS
New study finds MRSA on the rise in hospital outpatients
The community-associated strain of the deadly superbug MRSA-an infection-causing bacteria resistant to most common antibiotics-poses a far greater health threat than previously known and is making its way into hospitals, according to a study in the December issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Study reveals why certain drug combinations backfire
Combination drug therapy has become a staple for treating many infections. For instance, doctors treat extensively drug resistant forms of tuberculosis with one drug that breaks down the pathogen's protective barriers and opens the door for another to deliver the deathblow.

U.S. and European Experts Applaud Creation of New Transatlantic Task Force on Global Antibiotic Resistance Threat
Experts on both sides of the Atlantic applaud President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the European Union (EU) Presidency, for establishing a transatlantic task force to address antibiotic resistance, an urgent and growing problem that threatens patient safety and public health worldwide.

Bacteria 'launch a shield' to resist attack
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Technical University of Denmark along with other collaborators in Denmark and the US found that the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa can 'switch on' production of molecules that kill white blood cells - preventing the bacteria being eliminated by the body's immune system.

Misuse of antibiotics not the only cause of resistance says report
The perception that antibiotic resistance is primarily the undesirable consequence of antibiotic abuse or misuse is a view that is simplistic and inaccurate.

McMaster researchers discover a new antibacterial lead
Antibiotic resistance has been a significant problem for hospitals and health-care facilities for more than a decade. But despite the need for new treatment options, there have been only two new classes of antibiotics developed in the last 40 years.

Man-made crises 'outrunning our ability to deal with them,' scientists warn
The world faces a compounding series of crises driven by human activity, which existing governments and institutions are increasingly powerless to cope with, a group of eminent environmental scientists and economists has warned.

Genes key to staph disease severity, drug resistance found hitchhiking together
Scientists studying Staphylococcus bacteria, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), have discovered a potent staph toxin responsible for disease severity.

Resistance to antibiotics: When 1+1 is not 2
The evolution of multiple antibiotic resistances is a global and difficult problem to eradicate.

Ultrasensitive detector promises improved treatment of viral respiratory infections
A Vanderbilt chemist and a biomedical engineer have teamed up to develop a respiratory virus detector that is sensitive enough to detect an infection at an early stage, takes only a few minutes to return a result and is simple enough to be performed in a pediatrician's office.
More Antibiotic Resistance Current Events and Antibiotic Resistance News Articles
Revenge Of The Microbes: How Bacterial Resistance Is Undermining The Antibiotic Miracle

Revenge Of The Microbes: How Bacterial Resistance Is Undermining The Antibiotic Miracle
by Abigail A. Salyers (Author), Dixie D. Whitt (Author)

'What is antibiotic resistance, and why should I be concerned with it?' Media coverage and political and scientific discussions about 'superbugs' that defy our current treatments, genetically-modified foods in our fields and grocery stores, the threat of bioterrorism, and the use of antibiotics in agriculture have increased citizen awareness and fears regarding the issues surrounding antibiotic resistance. "Revenge of the Microbes: How Bacterial Resistance Is Undermining the Antibiotic Miracle" is a single source of answers to this and other questions average people are asking. Written by experts with extensive experience in the field, "Revenge of the Microbes" provides the scientific information readers will need to form opinions and make informed decisions regarding the use of...

Antibiotic Resistance: Stopping the Superbugs (Home Use)

Antibiotic Resistance: Stopping the Superbugs (Home Use)

Antibiotics was once seen as super drugs. They rapidly disarmed pneumonia and many other previously fatal bacterial conditions, and had relatively few side effects. But the bacteria weren't ready to surrender yet. Strains emerged that were resistant to the world's most potent medicines and now we're facing a world-wide crisis. In this program we see how the problem developed and what the experts believe we need to do to win the battle. This program is part of the award winning public television series Healthy Body, Healthy Mind.

This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.



The Antibiotic Paradox: How the Misuse of Antibiotics Destroys Their Curative Powers

The Antibiotic Paradox: How the Misuse of Antibiotics Destroys Their Curative Powers
by Stuart B Levy (Author), M.D., Stuart B. Levy (Author)

Revised and updated with a new introduction by the author, the classic book that warns consumers about the overuse of antibiotics.

In this totally revised and updated edition of the classic primer on the misuse of antibiotics, Dr. Stuart Levy reveals how our cavalier and naïve attitude about the power of antibiotics can have -and already has had-dire consequences. He explains that we are currently witnessing a massive evolutionary change in bacteria. This build-up of new antibiotic-resistant bacteria in individuals and the environment, mixed with our overzealous use of antibiotic soaps and the unregulated dispensing of antibiotics worldwide, is leading us into a dangerous territory where our "miracle" drugs will no longer help.

Antibiotic Resistance: Stopping the Superbugs

Antibiotic Resistance: Stopping the Superbugs
Directed By: ITV
Also With: ITV (Producer)



Antibiotics: Actions, Origins, Resistance

Antibiotics: Actions, Origins, Resistance
by Christopher Walsh (Author)

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Text analyzes how small molecules interfere selectively with the processes central to the survival of bacterial cells. Focuses on the relatively few molecules in antibiotics having an impact on human infectious disease. DNLM: Antibiotics--pharmacology.

Extending the Cure: Policy Responses to the Growing Threat of Antibiotic Resistance (Rff Press)

Extending the Cure: Policy Responses to the Growing Threat of Antibiotic Resistance (Rff Press)
by Professor Ramanan Laxminarayan (Author), Professor Anup Malani (Author), Professor David Howard (Author), Professor David L. Smith (Author)

Our ability to treat common bacterial infections with antibiotics goes back only 65 years. However, the authors of this report make it clear that sustaining a supply of effective and affordable antibiotics cannot be without changes to the incentives facing patients, physicians, hospitals, insurers, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. In fact, increasing resistance to these drugs is already exacting a terrible price. Every day in the United States, approximately 172 men, women, and children die from infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria in hospitals alone. Beyond those deaths, antibiotic resistance is costing billions of dollars through prolonged hospital stays and the need for doctors to resort to ever more costly drugs to use as substitute treatments.

Extending the...

  Resistance vs. Tolerance: Persistence as a Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance CD-ROM
Starring: Kim Lewis
Directed By: Ryan Jordan



Current Trends in Antibiotic Resistance in Infectious Diseases

Current Trends in Antibiotic Resistance in Infectious Diseases
by Asad U. Khan (Author), Asad U. Khan (Editor)

This book contains ten chapters which cover current trends on antibiotic resistance in different parts of the world. Some of the chapters are dedicated to specific type of bacteria like marine and cholera associated microorganisms. Whereas rest of the chapters are mainly focused on the mechanism of drug resistance with special reference to beta lactamases. Since most of the antibiotics used to treat infections belong to -lactam group which is lactam ring (?-lactam) or penam is a lactam with a heteroatomic ring structure, consisting of three carbon atoms and one nitrogen atom. A lactam is a cyclic amide.

The main focus of this book is to understand the different molecular markers responsible for developing resistance against this group of antibiotics. CTX-M family...

21st Century Complete Medical Guide to Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance, Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Authoritative CDC, ... for Patients and Physicians (CD-ROM)

21st Century Complete Medical Guide to Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance, Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Antimicrobial Susceptibility, Authoritative CDC, ... for Patients and Physicians (CD-ROM)
by PM Medical Health News (Author)

This up-to-date electronic book on CD-ROM provides the best collection available anywhere of official Federal government information and documents on the subject of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. This CD-ROM uses next-generation search technology that allows complete indexing and makes all files on the disc fully searchable. For patients, practical information is provided in clearly written patient education documents. For medical professionals, doctor reference tools and texts have detailed technical information and clinical background material.

The CDC's Campaign to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance aims to prevent antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings. The campaign centers on four main strategies: prevent infection, diagnose and treat infection, use...

Antibiotic Resistance: Origins, Evolution, Selection and Spread (Novartis Foundation Symposia)

Antibiotic Resistance: Origins, Evolution, Selection and Spread (Novartis Foundation Symposia)
by CIBA Foundation Symposium (Author)

Antibiotic Resistance: Origins, Evolution, Selection and Spread Chairman: Stuart B. Levy 1997 Over the last 50 years, the rapid increase in the use of antibiotics, not only in people, but also in animal husbandry and agriculture, has delivered a selection unprecedented in the history of evolution. Consequently, society is facing one of its gravest public health problems-the emergence of infectious bacteria with resistance to many, and in some cases all, available antibiotics. This book brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts to discuss this problem. It begins by examining the origins of resistance and goes on to look at how the use of antibiotics in human medicine and farming/agriculture has selected for resistant bacteria. Separate chapters describe the evolution of...

© 2009 BrightSurf.com