Category Archives: Antibiotic Resistance

Africa and EU – Rise in Antibiotic Resistance in Salmonella

Posted on June 20, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Safety News

Strains of one increasingly antibiotic-resistant Salmonella serotype have seen a “rapid worldwide spread,” according to a study published by researchers at the Institut Pasteur in Paris and Morocco.

Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Kentucky, first isolated in 2002 in a French tourist who had visited Egypt, has now “spread at an astonishing rate throughout Africa and the Middle East in the space of only a few years,” the study’s authors claim.

The bacterium has also already been found in farmed-raised turkeys in Europe, though it is not clear based on available information if those turkeys were imported or grown domestically. In a summary of the study, the lead author said he worries that the resistant strain may soon spread to European poultry farms.

This study comes on the heels of a report out of Canada calling antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Kentucky a rare but “growing concern” in Canadian health. That study found that between 2003 and 2009, 30 percent of Salmonella Kentucky isolates from Canadian patients were resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Hygiene, Laboratory, Microbiology, outbreak, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

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USA Research – Report on Anitmicrobial Resistance

Posted on May 28, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has released a white paper titled “Antibiotic Resistance in Foodborne Pathogens.” The paper details information about more than 55 foodborne illness outbreaks since 1973. In 31 of those outbreaks, the bacteria were resistant to five or more antibiotics. Forty-eight of the 55 outbreaks were caused by Salmonella bacteria.

The foods most likely associated with antibiotic resistant bacteria included dairy products, ground beef, and poultry; those foods were associated with 31 out of 55 outbreaks. The paper states that the two populations that are most at risk of foodborne illness are children and immune-compromised people.

CSPI is critical of the FDA’s approach to dealing with this problem. In April 2012, the FDA issued guidance documents for industry that just “encourage” drug companies to change labeling on antibiotics used in animals to prevent their non-therapeutic use for growth promotion or feed efficiency. Scientists, including those at Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, say that the government should issue regulations about antibiotic use that have enforcement capability. Furthermore, CSPI and other groups want legislation such as “The Preservation of Antibiotics for the Medical Treatment Act” or PAMTA, passed into law.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Illness, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Illness, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

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Research – Retrospective Analysis of Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus in Animal Feed Ingredients

Posted on May 23, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Liebert Online

The presence and antimicrobial susceptibility of foodborne pathogens and indicator organisms in animal feed are not well understood. In this study, a total of 201 feed ingredient samples (animal byproducts, n=122; plant byproducts, n=79) were collected in 2002 and 2003 from representative rendering plants and the oilseed (or cereal grain) industry across the United States. The occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of four bacterial genera (Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus) were determined. Salmonella isolates were further characterized by serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). None of the samples yielded Campylobacter or E. coli O157:H7, whereas Salmonella, generic E. coli, and Enterococcus were present in 22.9%, 39.3%, and 86.6% of samples, respectively. A large percentage (47.8%) of Salmonella-positive samples harbored two serovars, and the vast majority (88.4%) of Enterococcus isolates were E. faecium. Animal byproducts had a significantly higher Salmonella contamination rate (34.4%) than plant byproducts (5.1%) (p<0.05). Among 74 Salmonella isolates recovered, 27 serovars and 55 PFGE patterns were identified; all were pan-susceptible to 17 antimicrobials tested. E. coli isolates (n=131) demonstrated similar susceptibility to these antimicrobials except for tetracycline (15.3% resistance), sulfamethoxazole (7.6%), streptomycin (4.6%), ampicillin (3.8%), and nalidixic acid (1.5%). Enterococcus isolates (n=362) were also resistant to five of 17 antimicrobials tested, ranging from 1.1% to penicillin to 14.6% to tetracycline. Resistance rates were generally higher among isolates recovered from animal byproducts. Taken together, our findings suggest that diverse populations of Salmonella, E. coli, and Enterococcus are commonly present in animal feed ingredients, but antimicrobial resistance is not common. Future large-scale studies to monitor these pathogenic and indicator organisms in feed commodities is warranted.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Antimicrobials, Bacteria, Campylobacter, E.coli, Enterococcus, Food Microbiology, Food Poisoning, Food Safety, Food Testing, Laboratory, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research, Salmonella

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Europe – ECDC – Antimicrobial resistance continues to be found in Salmonella and Campylobacter

Posted on May 16, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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Antimicrobial resistance continues to be found in Salmonella and Campylobacter, the latest joint report from the European Food Safety Authority and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reveals.

The EU Summary Report on antimicrobial resistance in zoonotic and indicator bacteria from humans, animals and food    reveals that a high proportion of Campylobacter bacteria were resistant to ciprofloxacin, a critically important antimicrobial. However, there was low resistance to erythromycin and co-resistance to important antimicrobials remains low.

Multidrug resistance was higher in Salmonella bacteria, the report reveals. Despite this, co-resistance to critically important antimicrobials remains low. High levels of antimicrobial resistance were found in Salmonella bacteria from humans and food animals, in particular turkeys and pigs.

Dr Marc Sprenger, ECDC Director, said: ‘With harmonised surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in isolates from humans and animals, we can inform effective actions to prevent further spread of antimicrobial resistance in humans.’

 

 

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Campylobacter, ECDC, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Foodborne Illness, Microbiology, Pathogen, Salmonella

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Research – Frogs and Bacterial Antimicorbial Resistance

Posted on April 26, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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Skin secretions found in Australian frogs may hold the key to designing powerful new antibiotics that are not prone to bacterial resistance in humans, say researchers.

Antimicrobial peptides (small proteins) found in skin secretions are used by frogs to help fight bacterial infections.

Scientists working at the University of Melbourne and at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) are studying this naturally occurring process at the atomic level and hope it could lead to an alternative to commonly used antibiotics for fighting hospital-acquired infections like Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).

Using a time-of-flight neutron reflectometer housed at ANSTO’s OPAL reactor named Platypus, Post Doctoral Research Fellow Dr Anton Le Brun and a research team from Melbourne University led by Professor Frances Separovic are observing the action of antimicrobial peptides from  Australian tree frogs in model bacterial membranes.

Most antimicrobial peptides attack the semi-permeable barrier (the membrane) of cells making it difficult for bacteria to develop resistance.

Using Platypus offers the team a chance to see exactly how the peptides bind to the membrane and once they are bound, where they are located in the membrane.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Food Micro Blog, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Poisoning, Research

Research – Antibiotic Resitant Bacteria in Meats in the USA – E.coli Use Flagella as Anchors

Posted on April 17, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Poisoning Bulletin

An analysis by the Environmental Working Group has found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria are common on meat for sale in American supermarkets. A government study published on February 5, 2012 without fanfare found that 81% of ground turkey, 69% of pork chops, 55% of ground beef, and 39% of chicken carried antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The study, published by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), which is a joint project by the FDA, CDC and USDA, found that the meat samples collected in 2011 harbored “significant amounts” of superbug versions of Salmonella and Campylobacter. Those two bacteria cause 3.6 million cases of foodborne illness every year in the United States.

In addition, 53% of raw chicken samples carried an antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli, the bacteria found in feces. And the antibiotic resistance is growing fast. Of all Salmonella bacteria found on raw chicken in 2011, 74% were antibiotic resistant, compared to less than 50% in 2002.

Food Poisoning Bulletin

Flagella aren’t just for swimming. For E.coli, these long tails that propel them through liquid, also function as anchors, establishing a hold on surfaces that allow the bacteria to settle in and colonize, according to a new study from Harvard researchers.

“We demonstrate that flagella are able to reach into crevices, access additional surface area, and produce a dense, fibrous network,’” the researchers say in the abstract for the  study which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on March 18. The findings could lead to improved design of surfaces used in health care and food manufacturing settings.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, E.coli, Food Hygiene, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Methods, Microbiology, Research

Research – Antimicrobial resistance and co-selection phenomenon in Listeria spp

Posted on April 10, 2013 by | Leave a comment

Food Microbiology /Science Direct

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), co-selection phenomenon, and the relationship between reduced susceptibility (RSC) to ciprofloxacin (CIP) and resistance to other antimicrobials in Listeria spp. (n = 103) recovered from food processing environments (FPE) and food were investigated. Resistance of Listeria monocytogenes and other listeriae, respectively, to cefoxitin (FOX; 98% vs. 88%), CIP (7% vs. 4%), clindamycin (CLI; 33% vs. 59%) and tetracycline (6% vs. 8%) was observed, as was RSC to CIP (67% vs. 57%) and CLI (65% vs. 41%). L. monocytogenes also possessed RSC to linezolid (LZD; 6%), rifampicin (2%) and streptomycin (6%), with other listeriae displaying RSC to chloramphenicol (4%). L. monocytogenes serotype 1/2a (90%) isolates were more frequently resistant or possessed RSC to CIP compared to serotype 4b (55%) (p = 0.015). When eight strains were experimentally adapted to high concentrations of CIP, co-selection occurred as MICs to benzalkonium chloride (BAC) increased (n = 5), gentamicin MICs remained the same (n = 6) or increased 2-fold (n = 2), and led to RSC to LZD (n = 1) and resistance to CLI (n = 8). Overall, levels of resistance/RSC to CIP in food chain isolates, particularly 1/2a, are concerning. Further, reduced sensitivity to disparate antimicrobials following CIP exposure highlights the need for increased knowledge of co-selection phenomenon linked with antimicrobial agents.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Listeria, Listeria monocytogenes, Methods, Microbiology, Research

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Research – Antibiotic-Resistant Strain of E. Coli Increasing Among Older Adults and Residents of Nursing Homes

Posted on March 14, 2013 by | 1 comment

Science DirectEcoli Istock

Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli (E. coli) continues to proliferate, driven largely by expansion of a strain of E. coli know as sequence type ST131. A new study points to hospitals and long-term care facilities (LTCF) as settings in which this antibiotic-resistant strain is increasingly found.

The study is published in the April issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

E. coli is the most common gram-negative pathogen, causing both gastrointestinal disease and extraintestinal infections such as pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream, urinary tract, abdominal, and wound infections. Strains of E. coli that are resistant to single or multiple classes of antibiotics are becoming more prevalent. E. coli ST131 is commonly associated with fluoroquinolone resistance.

“The expansion of E. coli strain ST131 is recognized as a pandemic, but has received comparatively little attention in the United States,” said Ritu Banerjee, lead investigator of the study. “Alarmingly, the pace of new antibiotic development has not kept up with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant E. coli, making development of strategies to halt further emergence and spread of these strains a public health priority.”

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, E.coli, Food Illness, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Hygiene, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

UK-HPA

Posted on March 11, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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HPA welcomes move to put antibiotic resistance on the national risk register

11 March 2013

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) welcomes the move by England’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Professor Dame Sally Davies to add antibiotic resistance to the national risk register.

Its addition to the risk register will mean that this issue will be given full attention by politicians here in England as well as the G8 and World Health Organization.

This announcement was made at the launch of the Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer – Infections and the rise of antimicrobial resistance which was published today.

Figures from the HPA’s Antimicrobial Resistance Reference Laboratory show that in 2003 there were three samples which tested positive for antibiotic resistance compared to 800 in 2012.

It is this dramatic rise in the numbers of cases that warrants active intervention not just from Government but also from healthcare institutions, the pharmaceutical industry, patients and the general public to address this very serious problem.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Food Inspections, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, HPA, Microbiology, Research

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USA – Research – Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Found in Retail Meat

Posted on February 9, 2013 by | Leave a comment

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The National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) has just released its annual meat report detailing the bacteria found on meat sold at the retail level. The report states that there are increases in antibiotic-resistant bacteria found on ground turkey and chicken.

Representative Louise Slaughter (D-NY), a microbiologist, released a press statement about the report. She said, “we are standing on the brink of a public health catastrophe. The threat of antibiotic-resistant disease is real, it si growing and those most at risk are our seniors and children. We can help stop this threat by drastically reducing the overuse of antibiotics in our food supply, and Congress should act swiftly to do so today.” Rep. Slaughter is the author of the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA), which would phase out the use of medically important antibiotics in healthy food-producing animals.

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Posted in Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Food Hygiene, Food Inspections, Food Safety, Food Technology, Food Testing, Methods, Microbiology, Pathogen, Research

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