High Levels of MRSA Bacteria in U.S. Meat Products

Author: University of Iowa
Published: 2012/01/23 - Updated: 2025/02/13
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Reports & Proceedings
Topic: MRSA Infections - Publications List

Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main

Synopsis: This report sheds light on the alarming presence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in U.S. retail meat products, particularly pork. It highlights a study which found MRSA in around 7% of the pork samples tested, indicating a higher prevalence than previously thought. This information is crucial for consumers, including seniors and people with disabilities, who might be more susceptible to infections due to weakened immune systems or frequent healthcare interactions. The report discusses how MRSA, a bacteria resistant to many antibiotics, can lead to food poisoning and severe infections, emphasizing the need for safer handling practices of raw meat. It also notes a surprising lack of difference in MRSA contamination between conventional and antibiotic-free pork, which might influence consumer choices and raise awareness about the broader implications of MRSA in our food supply. This study's findings are particularly relevant for those concerned with food safety, health risks, and the broader public health implications of antibiotic resistance - Disabled World (DW).

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 Item

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. 19th 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."

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by University of Iowa and published on 2012/01/23, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, University of Iowa can be contacted at uiowa.edu NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.

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Citing and References

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Cite This Page: University of Iowa. (2012, January 23 - Last revised: 2025, February 13). High Levels of MRSA Bacteria in U.S. Meat Products. Disabled World (DW). Retrieved April 25, 2025 from www.disabled-world.com/health/mrsa/bacteria.php

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