An illustration about a growing public health emergency outbreak around the world. (Illustration by Amelia Bates, Glist via AP)
Lansing, Michigan (WLNS) — More than half of certain bacterial foodborne illness cases in Michigan carry genes that indicate resistance to antibiotics.
Michigan State University researcherWorking with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, et al. found that more than half of the Campylobacter jejuni strains that cause disease in Michigan are resistant to at least one antibiotic.
This bacterium is commonly associated with consumption of undercooked or raw poultry or other items that have come into contact with undercooked or raw poultry. Most people can fight infections on their own. However, some people develop serious complications that can lead to hospitalization or death.
Shannon Manning He is a project lead and professor at the MSU Research Foundation. Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. While the bacterium’s potential to cause disease is a concern, the fact that the bacterium can trade genes, including those that confer resistance to antibiotics, is more significant, Manning said.
“Foodborne pathogens are everywhere. They’re not just in the food we eat, but in the animals and environments we come into contact with on a regular basis,” Manning said. “If they carry resistance genes, they not only make us sick, they can also easily transfer those genes to other bacteria.”
