Need to get antibiotics out of the food chain

August 5, 2011

The strain of Salmonella, known as S. Kentucky, has

developed resistance to the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, often

used for treating severe Salmonella cases.

The numbers are still very, very small but rising:

" Concerns about the overuse of antibiotics have been growing

in recent years. Overuse in food production and healthcare

is thought to lead to increasing antibiotic resistance.

The researchers say that the S. Kentucky strain of

salmonella is closely linked to poultry, and that the

observed increases may be due in part to the increased use

of antibiotics in poultry production in Africa.

The researchers say other sources of drug-resistant S.

Kentucky strains may include imported fruits and vegetables,

as well as shellfish, as water contamination has been

reported. People should continue to wash fruits and

vegetables before eating them. "

" The US tested approximately 5% of their salmonella cases

for drug resistance, compared to approximately 75% in

Denmark, 99% in England and Wales, and 100% of certain

subtypes (including S. Kentucky) in France. "

idemiology.aspx

Then there is NDM-1/E.coli ...

NDM-1, which stands for New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1

is a gene (DNA code) carried by some bacteria. If a bacteria

strain carries the NDM-1 gene it is resistant to nearly all

antibiotics, including carbapenem antibiotics - also known

as antibiotics of last resort.

" Cases of NDM-1 infection are usually caused by gram

negative bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family. This

family includes common bacteria like Escherichia coli (E.

coli) and Klebsiella. These bacteria reside in the bowel and

may spread from person to person if hands or items are

contaminated with fecal material. To date, strains of

Klebsiella, Escherichia, and Acinetobacter genera of

bacteria are known to possess the gene for NDM-1. "

~chris

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