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.
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.
