Antibiotic use promotes resistant strains of <i>Campylobacter</i>

US - The poultry industry's use of antibiotics promotes antibiotic resistance among the foodborne bacteria that infect humans, including the bacterium Campylobacter, according to a study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, also provides evidence suggesting that chickens raised without antibiotics are less likely to carry antibiotic-resistant strains of Campylobacter. The new data also shows that antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter can persist in poultry populations and products long after producers stop using the drugs.

The study focused on fluoroquinolones (FQs), a class of antimicrobials used to control the bacterium Escherichia coli in broiler chickens. Baytril, which along with Sara Flox WSP was approved for use in poultry, is the only remaining FQ still on the market. The US Food and Drug Administration is seeking to repeal approval for Baytril due to concerns that it contributes to microbial resistance.

Source: Food Production Daily
calendar icon 30 May 2005
clock icon 1 minute read
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