High levels of E. coli have been found in raw meats and raw dog foods sold in grocery stores in the United Kingdom, according to a study presented last week at the world congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) in Barcelona.
Researchers from the University of Bristol examined 58 samples of raw beef, chicken, pork and lamb sold in grocery stores in the UK, as well as 15 samples of raw dog food sold in “specialist pet stores”. ”, according to a press release.
Eighty-one percent of meat samples and 87% of dog food samples contained E. coli (Escherichia coli) which was resistant to antibiotics.
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Raw chicken had the highest levels of resistant gut bacteria.
“E. coli is an intestinal bacteria that can spread among cows and chickens used for meat, especially when they are raised in squalid conditions or close to each other,” said Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at Langone Medical Center of New York and a Fox News medical contributor, told Fox News Digital.
High levels of E. coli were found in uncooked meats and raw dog foods sold in grocery stores, according to a study presented last week at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) World Congress in Barcelona. (iStock)
“Since poultry and beef cows are often fed antibiotics to help them grow and prevent infections, this contributes to the reproduction of resistant strains, which arise when antibiotics are overused.”
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Siegel was not involved in the study.
“This study confirms that uncooked meat carries several resistant E. coli, generally including resistance to antibiotics of critical health importance. Human health“said the study authors in an ESCMID press release.
“E. coli is an intestinal bacteria that can spread among cows and chickens used for meat, especially when they are raised in squalid conditions or close to each other.” (iStock)
If ingested, the bacteria could colonize the intestines and cause resistant infections, according to study author Matthew B. Avison, a professor in the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Bristol.
“They can stay in your gut for years without causing illness, and in some cases the bacteria will later cause different types of illness, including urinary tract infections and blood infections it can kill,” Avison told Fox News Digital.
“Infections with resistant bacteria are more difficult to treat and are therefore more likely to get worse.”
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Uncooked meat sold for people to eat after cooking is “usually contaminated” with antibiotic-resistant E. coli, Avison noted.
The study results are not surprising, he said, because there are “numerous reports” of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the country. raw meat and some…
