High Levels of MRSA Bacteria in U.S. Meat Products
Author: University of Iowa
Published: 2012/01/23 - Updated: 2023/06/29
Publication Type: Study - Peer-Reviewed: Yes
Contents: Summary - Introduction - Main - Related
Synopsis: Meat in grocery stores has higher prevalence of staph than originally thought and no significant difference in MRSA contamination between conventional pork products and those raised without antibiotics or antibiotic growth promoters. MRSA is any strain of Staphylococcus aureus that has developed, through the process of natural selection, resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, which include penicillins (methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, etc.) and cephalosporins. MRSA can occur in the environment and in raw meat products, and is estimated to cause around 185,000 cases of food poisoning each year. The bacteria can also cause serious, life-threatening infections of the bloodstream, skin, lungs, and other organs.
Introduction
Retail pork products in the United States. have a higher prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) than previously identified, according to new research by the University of Iowa College of Public Health and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
Main Digest
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a bacterium responsible for several difficult to treat infections in humans. It is also called Oxacillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (ORSA). MRSA is any strain of Staphylococcus aureus that has developed, through the process of natural selection, resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics, which include the penicillins (methicillin, dicloxacillin, nafcillin, oxacillin, etc.) and the cephalosporins.
MRSA can occur in the environment and in raw meat products, and is estimated to cause around 185,000 cases of food poisoning each year.
The bacteria can also cause serious, life-threatening infections of the bloodstream, skin, lungs, and other organs. MRSA is resistant to a number of antibiotics.
The study, published Jan. 19 in the online science journal PLoS ONE, represents the largest sampling of raw meat products for MRSA contamination to date in the U.S.
The researchers collected 395 raw pork samples from 36 stores in Iowa, Minnesota, and New Jersey. Of these samples, 26 - or about 7 percent - carried MRSA.
"This study shows that the meat we buy in our grocery stores has a higher prevalence of staph than we originally thought," says lead study author Tara Smith, Ph.D., interim director of the UI Center for Emerging and Infectious Diseases and assistant professor of epidemiology. "With this knowledge, we can start to recommend safer ways to handle raw meat products to make it safer for the consumer."
The study also found no significant difference in MRSA contamination between conventional pork products and those raised without antibiotics or antibiotic growth promoters.
"We were surprised to see no significant difference in antibiotic-free and conventionally produced pork," Smith says. "Though it's possible that this finding has more to do with the handling of the raw meat at the plant than the way the animals were raised, it's certainly worth exploring further."
Resources That Provide Relevant Related Information
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- MRSA Bacteria: Facts, Information and Treatment News
- Drug Resistant Shigellosis in America
- Overcoming Last Line of Antibiotic Resistance Against Bacterial Infections
- Klebsiella Pneumoniae: A Superbug Found in Health Care Environments
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This peer reviewed publication titled High Levels of MRSA Bacteria in U.S. Meat Products was chosen for publishing by Disabled World's editors due to its relevance to the disability community. While the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity, it was originally authored by University of Iowa and published 2012/01/23 (Edit Update: 2023/06/29). For further details or clarifications, you can contact University of Iowa directly at uiowa.edu Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.
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