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Some British supermarket pork has been infected with a potentially fatal superbug, an investigation has found.
Tests discovered that more than 10% of sampled pork products, including joints, chops and mince, were infected with bacteria that showed resistance to a “last resort” antibiotic used to treat serious illnesses in humans. The contaminated products included some pork sold under the “Red Tractor assured” label and RSPCA-assured and organic products.
The superbug is a variant of the enterococci bacteria that can cause urinary tract and wound infections, among other illnesses. In the most serious cases the bacteria can infect the bloodstream, heart and brain.
It has become resistant to being treated by some types of antibiotics, which means some of the medicines a doctor might normally prescribe would have no effect for treating illness.
Drug-resistant strains of bacteria are a significant health concern, with rates known to be rising across Europe. There are many reasons that bacteria are developing ways of getting around antibiotics, but one key issue is that antibiotics have been widely used in livestock production to treat and prevent disease, particularly on factory farms.
www.theguardian.com
Tests discovered that more than 10% of sampled pork products, including joints, chops and mince, were infected with bacteria that showed resistance to a “last resort” antibiotic used to treat serious illnesses in humans. The contaminated products included some pork sold under the “Red Tractor assured” label and RSPCA-assured and organic products.
The superbug is a variant of the enterococci bacteria that can cause urinary tract and wound infections, among other illnesses. In the most serious cases the bacteria can infect the bloodstream, heart and brain.
It has become resistant to being treated by some types of antibiotics, which means some of the medicines a doctor might normally prescribe would have no effect for treating illness.
Drug-resistant strains of bacteria are a significant health concern, with rates known to be rising across Europe. There are many reasons that bacteria are developing ways of getting around antibiotics, but one key issue is that antibiotics have been widely used in livestock production to treat and prevent disease, particularly on factory farms.
Potentially deadly superbug found in British supermarket pork
Tests found more than 10% of sampled products resistant to antibiotic used to treat serious illnesses in humans
