NEW YORK - A type of bacterium found in raw or undercooked chicken and turkey appears to be more common than previously thought and could pose an increasing threat to health, according to a report in the New York Times. Antibiotics once used to combat the bacteria, called Campylobacter, appear to be losing their effectiveness.
Six years ago, tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 30% to 70% of all chickens were infected with Campylobacter. Now better detection methods suggest that 70% to 90% of chickens carry the bacteria, according to The New York Times.
Campylobacter is a leading bacterial cause of food-related illness, causing severe, sometimes bloody diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain and fever. In some cases, the bacteria can trigger a rare, paralysis-inducing disease called Guillain-Barre syndrome. Up to 40% of the 5,000 annual cases of the syndrome may be caused by Campylobacter -- though most people recover.
The severity of illness caused by Campylobacter is comparable to that due to salmonella, the well-known poultry contaminant, but in general is not as life-threatening. Campylobacter causes 2 million to 8 million infections and 200 to 800 deaths per year, while salmonella causes 800,000 to 4 million illnesses and up to 1,920 deaths. Unlike salmonella, Campylobacter is not found in eggs, but is found in unpasteurized milk, contaminated water and the feces of infected cats or dogs.
Antibiotic treatment for Campylobacter infection is recommended for pregnant women and those with severe illness or weakened immune systems, but antibiotics once used to treat the infection, called fluoroquinolones, appear to be less effective than in the past. The 1995 licensing of such antibiotics for use in chickens may be one reason for the dramatic increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of Campylobacter, according to Dr. Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist for the Minnesota Health Department. Tests conducted by the department found that 79% of chickens sampled in supermarkets were infected with Campylobacter, and 20% of those were infected with the resistant strain. About 58% of turkeys were also infected, 84% of those with the resistant strain.
To reduce the risk of illness due to Campylobacter, the CDC suggests that poultry be cooked thoroughly and cross contamination be prevented by using separate cutting boards and utensils for meat and other food.
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