Retail meat linked to urinary tract infections: Strong new evidence
Chicken sold in supermarkets, restaurants and other outlets may place young women at risk of urinary tract infections (UTI), McGill researcher Amee Manges has discovered.
Samples taken in the Montreal area between 2005 and 2007, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the University of Guelph, provide strong new evidence that E. coli (Escherichia coli) bacteria originating from these food sources can cause common urinary tract infections.
Eating contaminated meat or food does not directly lead to a UTI. While some E. coli such as O157:H7 can cause serious intestinal disease, these E. coli bacteria can live in the intestine without causing problems. In women however, the bacteria can travel from the anus to the vagina and urethra during sex, which can lead to the infection.
The research team is also investigating whether livestock may be passing antimicrobial-resistant bacteria on to humans. This is due to the use of antibiotics to treat or prevent disease in the animals and to enhance their growth, which may lead them to develop resistance to the medication. When animals are slaughtered and their meat is processed for sale, the meat can be contaminated with these bacteria.
“These studies might open the door to discussions with policymakers,” Manges said, “about how antibiotics are used in agriculture in Canada. It’s certainly something we need to continue studying”.
The public should not be alarmed. Manges advises that consumers should cook meat thoroughly and prevent contamination of other foods in the kitchen. Although some infections caused by these E. coli are resistant to some antibiotics, the infections can still be treated. Manges hopes that understanding how these bacteria are transmitted will help reduce infections. She also hopes more attention will be focused on how meat is produced in Canada. Her research is part of a broader study concerning food safety and is financed through funding by the Government of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, in collaboration with the Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, specifically the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance, and also the Division de l'inspection des aliments, Ville de Montréal.
On the Web: www.mcgill.ca/epi-biostat-occh/
www.cdc.gov/eid/content/16/1/88.htm
Media Contact
More Information:
http://www.mcgill.caAll latest news from the category: Health and Medicine
This subject area encompasses research and studies in the field of human medicine.
Among the wide-ranging list of topics covered here are anesthesiology, anatomy, surgery, human genetics, hygiene and environmental medicine, internal medicine, neurology, pharmacology, physiology, urology and dental medicine.
Newest articles
How marine worms regenerate lost body parts
The return of cells to a stem cell-like state as the key to regeneration. Many living organisms are able to regenerate damaged or lost tissue, but why some are particularly…
Nano-scale molecular detective
New on-chip device uses exotic light rays in 2D material to detect molecules. Researchers have developed a highly sensitive detector for identifying molecules via their infrared vibrational “fingerprint”. Published in Nature…
Novel CAR T-cell therapy
… demonstrates efficacy and safety in preclinical models of HER2-positive solid tumors. The p95HER2 protein is found expressed in one third of HER2+ tumors, which represent 4% of all tumors….