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Source of
Article: http://www.foodpoisonjournal.com/ The Colorado Department of
Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued an updated
Salmonella outbreak alert on Juy 31. In it, CDPHE announced that 21
cases of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella Newport have been reported in
Colorado. Most ill individuals sick with Salmonella Newport reported
experiencing symptoms of Salmonella infection beginning in late June or early
July, and while CDPHE did not announce that a second ground beef recall had
been issued, the agency did warn consumers about the possibility that ground
beef they have in their freezers could be contaminated with
antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella. This most recent
drug-resistant Salmonella outbreak follows on the heels of a July 22, 2009
USDA announcement that King
Soopers was recalling ground beef for Salmonella contamination. The
recalled meat was also contaminated with antibiotic-resistant Salmonella
(DT104), and was source of a Salmonella outbreak among residents of several
states. According to news reports, most of the illnesses reportedly
associated with the earlier Salmonella DT104 outbreak were also among
Colorado residents. In its July 31 press
release, CDPHE stated: This is the second large
Salmonella outbreak that the department has investigated in July. Both
outbreaks have been linked to ground beef. Further investigation with the
USDA in to the source of the meat in this outbreak is ongoing. Alicia Cronquist, the foodborne
disease epidemiologist at the state health department, said, “We can’t be
certain that ground beef is the source of these infections, but we are
concerned enough that it might be and want consumers to be aware.” Antibiotic-resistant
Salmonella contamination in ground beef has increasingly been implicated as
the source of human illness. On its drug-resistant
Salmonella page, the World Health Organization states: The emergence of Salmonella
strains that are resistant to commonly used antimicrobials should be
particularly noted by clinicians, microbiologists and those responsible for
the control of communicable diseases, as well as the food producers including
the food industry. Control of drug-resistant Salmonella is most efficiently
achieved through the reduction of antimicrobial use. Prudent usage in food
animals should be combined with good husbandry, good abattoir practice and
good hygiene at all stages in the food production chain, from processing
plants to kitchens and food service establishments. These combined efforts
should reduce the numbers of the relevant strains in food animals and lower
the risk of contamination by resistant Salmonella at all stages in the food
production chain. While activities addressing
the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in foodborne microorganisms are
ongoing, the magnitude of the problem is largely unknown in many countries.
International collaborative efforts, including efforts in support of surveillance
and risk assessment, need to be increased. H.R.
1549 - Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009
proposes the restriction of antibiotic use in feed animals to therapeutic
purposes only to prevent the emergence of additional antibiotic-resistant
strains of Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens in our food
supply. The passage of this bill could be a huge step toward preventing
future outbreaks like the two that have struck in Colorado this summer. |
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