Bacteria found in squid raises concern about spread of antibiotic resistance, study finds

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.concordmonitor.com/news/...t-spread-of-antibiotic-resistance-study-finds

Bacteria found in squid raises concern about spread of antibiotic resistance, study finds
By LENA H. SUN
Washington Post
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
(Published in print: Thursday, June 12, 2014)

Researchers in Canada have discovered an antibiotic-resistant bacteria for the first time in a food product ? raw squid ? widening the potential exposure for consumers, according to a report published yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Until now, most antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been in health care settings and spread by infected patients, as occurred in the superbug outbreak at the National Institutes of Health clinical center in 2011 that killed seven people.

The discovery of such a microbe in food means ?the risk of exposure in the public goes beyond people with travel histories and beyond people who have been previously hospitalized,? said Joseph Rubin, assistant professor of veterinary microbiology at the University of Saskatchewan. ?This finding means a much broader segment of the population is potentially at risk for exposure. It?s something you may be bringing into your home rather than something you would acquire while traveling or following hospitalization,? he said.

Cooking the squid at the proper temperature would kill the bacteria. But the bacteria could still spread into humans through cross-contamination if kitchen surfaces and hands aren?t properly cleaned...

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Bacteria found in squid raises concern about spread of antibiotic resistance, study finds

June 11, 2014

Carbapenemase-Producing Organism in Food, 2014, Joseph E. Rubin et al.

Carbapenems are a type of antibiotic, and carbapenemases are enzymes that some organisms can produce to render these antibiotics ineffective. The recent global emergence of carbapenemase-producing organisms adds to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance, to the point of its being considered a public health emergency.

Carbapenem-resistant organisms have been found in the environment and in animals used for food; but in the United States and Canada, they had not been found in food itself—until now.

In January 2014, routine testing identified a carbapenemase-producing organism in a squid for sale in a Chinese grocery store in Saskatoon, Canada. The squid had probably been imported from South Korea.

This finding expands the list of those at risk for carbapenem-resistant infections from a select group of people to the general public. Specifically, it expands the previously known risks of travel to certain destinations, previous use of antibiotics, or prior hospitalization, to the more widespread risk of consumption of contaminated food.

Finding a carbapenemase-producing organism in food in North America creates an urgent need to expand tracking and monitoring (surveillance) of these organisms.

CDC