The Potential Hazards of Antibiotics in Farm-Raised Poultry

Key Takeaways:

• Nascent research suggests that the ingestion of poultry treated with antibiotics such as Virginiamycin could potentially increase the risk of humans developing antibiotic resistance.
• Drug-resistant bacteria could be transmitted through food, meaning if we consume poultry harboring resistant organisms, our natural organisms could also become drug-resistant.
• The study investigated whether consumers would develop resistance to the antibiotic Synercid via consumption of poultry treated with it, findings indicated humans did not develop such resistance from poultry consumption.
• Nevertheless, the study revealed a significant presence of drug-resistant enterococcus in poultry that were treated with antibiotics.
• There is a valid concern of high poultry consumption leading to heightened susceptibility to immunity against drugs. However, this is not currently a major concern as Synercid is not frequently used.

Is the poultry you eat jeopardizing your health? Emerging research implies that consumption of poultry treated with antibiotics may escalate the risk of humans developing antibiotic resistance. While these results are still nascent, they pose significant questions about the food industry and our diet habits.

However, these initial outcomes should not deter anyone from consuming turkey or chicken, assures the principal investigator of the study. “We are not advocating for any changes in diet based on our findings,” explains Dr. Edward Belongia, who presides over the Epidemiology Research Center at the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation.

The main concern centers around the utilization of Virginiamycin, a growth-enhancing antibiotic administered to livestock. While Virginiamycin usage in livestock is prohibited in Europe, it remains legal in the United States.

Research proposes that Virginiamycin can potentially induce bacteria within poultry to become hyper-vigilant. It’s much like the over-consumption of antibiotics in humans leading to drug resistance. Antibiotic resistance arises when an antibiotic is overused, causing bacteria to develop mutations to resist it.

Drug Resistance Spread Through Food

It is feasible for this drug resistance to be transmitted through food. Molly Marten, a clinical epidemiologist, elucidates this concept, “When we ingest food harboring resistant organisms, these can be passed to our natural organisms, making them drug-resistant as well.”

In light of these potential issues, Belongia and his team ventured to investigate whether individuals consuming poultry treated with antibiotics would themselves develop resistance to the antibiotic known as quinupristin-dalfopristin or Synercid. This antibiotic is often used in treating diseases caused by Enterococcus faecium – a germ that is usually harmless but can cause diseases in some cases, especially amongst hospital patients with compromised immune systems.

The Study’s Conclusions

The team’s study consisted of analysis of enterococcus bacteria from stool samples collected from newly admitted hospital patients and healthy vegetarians. They also inspected enterococcus bacteria in standard retail poultry samples and poultry raised without antibiotics.

The findings indicated that humans did not develop resistance to Synercid from consuming poultry. However, a significant volume of drug-resistant enterococcus was uncovered in poultry that underwent antibiotic treatment. Moreover, a large percentage of hospital patients exhibited a genetic trait that might make them more vulnerable to developing Synercid resistance; this trait was absent in the vegetarian samples.

High poultry consumption also correlated to a heightened susceptibility to immunity against the drug, as well as contact with poultry. Belongia stated that this is not currently a major concern as Synercid is not frequently used, thus bacteria haven’t had the opportunity to become immune to it.

However, Belongia offers a caveat – “that could change,” he warned. Belongia urges the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to consider these findings in their policy-making decisions. In a statement, Belongia argued against using antibiotics for livestock growth promotion.

Marten supported this sentiment, suggesting the findings bolstered the case for limiting antibiotic use in food production. “Applying antibiotics solely for therapeutic needs, instead of growth enhancement, we can decelerate the emergence of drug-resistant organisms amongst humans,” Marten concluded.

More Information:

To gather more knowledge about drug resistance, please consult the resources available on the World Health Organization website.