A Comparative Quantitative Assessment of Human Exposure to Various Antimicrobial-Resistant Bacteria among U.S. Ground Beef Consumers

Author(s):  
Yangjunna Zhang ◽  
John W. Schmidt ◽  
Terrance M. Arthur ◽  
Tommy L. Wheeler ◽  
Bing Wang

Consumption of animal-derived meat products is suspected as an important exposure route to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as the presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) along the beef supply chain is well-documented. A retail-to-fork quantitative exposure assessment was established to compare consumers’ exposure to various ARB due to the consumption of ground beef with and without “raised without antibiotics (RWA)” claims and to inform potential exposure mitigation strategies related to consumer practices. The microbial agents evaluated included generic Escherichia coli , tetracycline-resistant (TET r ) E. coli , 3 rd -generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GC r ) E. coli , Salmonella enterica , TET r S. enterica , 3GC r S. enterica , nalidixic acid-resistant (NAL r ) S. enterica , Enterococcus spp., TET r Enterococcus spp., erythromycin-resistant (ERY r ) Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus , and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The final model outputs were the probability of exposure to at least 0 to 6 log10 CFU microorganisms per serving of ground beef at consumption. It was estimated that tetracycline resistance was more prevalent in ground beef, compared with other types of resistance, among which the predicted average probability of ingesting TET r Enterococcus was highest (6.2% of ingesting at least 0 log 10 CFU/serving), followed by TET r E. coli (3.1%) and TET r Salmonella (0.0001%), given common product purchase preferences and preparation behaviors among beef consumers in the U.S. The effectiveness of consumer-related interventions was estimated by simulating the differences in exposure as a result of changes in consumer practices in purchasing, handling, and preparing ground beef. The results indicated that proper employment of recommended safe cooking and food preparation practices mitigates ARB exposure more effectively than choosing RWA rather than conventional (CONV) beef.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devin B. Holman ◽  
Katherine E Gzyl ◽  
Cassidy L Klima ◽  
Rahat Zaheer ◽  
Cara Service ◽  
...  

Antimicrobial use in food-producing animals has come under increasing scrutiny due to its potential association with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Monitoring of AMR in indicator microorganisms such as Enterococcus spp. in meat production facilities and retail meat products can provide important information on the dynamics and prevalence of AMR in these environments. In this study, swabs or samples were obtained from various locations in a commercial beef packing operation (n = 600 total) and from retail ground beef (n = 60) over a 19-month period. All samples/swabs were enriched for Enterococcus spp. and suspected enterococci isolates were identified using species-specific PCR primers. Enterococcus faecalis was the most frequently isolated species followed by Enterococcus hirae, which was found mostly on hides and ground beef.  Enterococcus faecium (n = 9) and E. faecalis (n = 120) isolates were further characterized for antimicrobial resistance and resistant genes due to the clinical significance of these species. Twenty-one unique AMR profiles were identified, with 90% of isolates resistant to at least two antimicrobials, and two that were resistant to nine antimicrobials. Tetracycline resistance was observed most often in E. faecalis (28.8%) and was likely mediated by tet(M). Genomic analysis of selected E. faecalis and E. faecium isolates revealed that many of the isolates in this study clustered with other publicly available genomes from ground beef, suggesting that these strains are well adapted to the beef packaging environment.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 466
Author(s):  
Herbert Galler ◽  
Josefa Luxner ◽  
Christian Petternel ◽  
Franz F. Reinthaler ◽  
Juliana Habib ◽  
...  

In recent years, antibiotic-resistant bacteria with an impact on human health, such as extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-containing Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), have become more common in food. This is due to the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, which leads to the promotion of antibiotic resistance and thus also makes food a source of such resistant bacteria. Most studies dealing with this issue usually focus on the animals or processed food products to examine the antibiotic resistant bacteria. This study investigated the intestine as another main habitat besides the skin for multiresistant bacteria. For this purpose, faeces samples were taken directly from the intestines of swine (n = 71) and broiler (n = 100) during the slaughter process and analysed. All samples were from animals fed in Austria and slaughtered in Austrian slaughterhouses for food production. The samples were examined for the presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, MRSA, MRCoNS and VRE. The resistance genes of the isolated bacteria were detected and sequenced by PCR. Phenotypic ESBL-producing Escherichia coli could be isolated in 10% of broiler casings (10 out of 100) and 43.6% of swine casings (31 out of 71). In line with previous studies, the results of this study showed that CTX-M-1 was the dominant ESBL produced by E. coli from swine (n = 25, 83.3%) and SHV-12 from broilers (n = 13, 81.3%). Overall, the frequency of positive samples with multidrug-resistant bacteria was lower than in most comparable studies focusing on meat products.


2014 ◽  
Vol 81 (2) ◽  
pp. 713-725 ◽  
Author(s):  
John W. Schmidt ◽  
Getahun E. Agga ◽  
Joseph M. Bosilevac ◽  
Dayna M. Brichta-Harhay ◽  
Steven D. Shackelford ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTSpecific concerns have been raised that third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GCr)Escherichia coli, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole-resistant (COTr)E. coli, 3GCrSalmonella enterica, and nalidixic acid-resistant (NALr)S. entericamay be present in cattle production environments, persist through beef processing, and contaminate final products. The prevalences and concentrations of these organisms were determined in feces and hides (at feedlot and processing plant), pre-evisceration carcasses, and final carcasses from three lots of fed cattle (n= 184). The prevalences and concentrations were further determined for strip loins from 103 of the carcasses. 3GCrSalmonellawas detected on 7.6% of hides during processing and was not detected on the final carcasses or strip loins. NALrS. entericawas detected on only one hide. 3GCrE. coliand COTrE. coliwere detected on 100.0% of hides during processing. Concentrations of 3GCrE. coliand COTrE. colion hides were correlated with pre-evisceration carcass contamination. 3GCrE. coliand COTrE. coliwere each detected on only 0.5% of final carcasses and were not detected on strip loins. Five hundred and 42 isolates were screened for extraintestinal pathogenicE. coli(ExPEC) virulence-associated markers. Only two COTrE. coliisolates from hides were ExPEC, indicating that fed cattle products are not a significant source of ExPEC causing human urinary tract infections. The very low prevalences of these organisms on final carcasses and their absence on strip loins demonstrate that current sanitary dressing procedures and processing interventions are effective against antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.


2011 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 2352-2361 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Luczkiewicz ◽  
K. Jankowska ◽  
R. Bray ◽  
E. Kulbat ◽  
B. Quant ◽  
...  

The main objective of the study was to assess the potential of three systems (UV irradiation, ozonation, and micro/ultrafiltration) operated in a pilot scale in removal of antimicrobial-resistant fecal bacteria from secondary effluent of the local wastewater treatment plant (700,000 population equivalent). The effectiveness of the processes was analysed using the removal ratio of fecal indicators (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp.). The susceptibility of fecal indicators to antimicrobial agents important in human therapy was examined. Resistance to nitrofurantoin and erythromycin was common among enterococci and followed by resistance to fluoroquinolones and tetracycline. Resistance to high-level aminoglycosides and glycopeptides was also observed. E. coli isolates were most frequently resistant to penicillins and tetracycline. The extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli was detected once, after ozonation. Substantial attention should be paid to the E. coli and enterococci resistant to three or more chemical classes of antimicrobials (MAR), which in general constituted up to 15 and 49% of the tested isolates, respectively. Although the applied methods were effective in elimination of fecal indicators (removal efficiency up to 99.99%), special attention has to be paid to the application of sufficient disinfection and operation conditions to avoid selection of antimicrobial resistant bacteria.


Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 1190
Author(s):  
Siqin Liu ◽  
Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge ◽  
Samuel N. Nahashon ◽  
Bharat Pokharel ◽  
Abdullah Ibn Mafiz ◽  
...  

This study investigated the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in retail edible offal and muscle meats in Nashville, Tennessee. A total of 348 retail meats (160 edible offal and 188 muscle) were analyzed for Salmonella enterica serovar, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, and enterococci. Bacteria was identified using biochemical and PCR methods. Salmonella enterica serovar (4.4% and 4.3%), Campylobacter (1.9% and 1.1%), E. coli (79.4% and 89.4%), and enterococci (88.1% and 95.7%) was detected in offal and muscle meats, respectively. Chicken liver (9.7%) was most frequently contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar, followed by ground chicken (6.9%) and chicken wings (4.2%). No Salmonella enterica serovar was detected in beef liver, beef tripe, and ground beef. The prevalence of Campylobacter was 6.9%, 2.3%, and 1.4% in beef liver, ground beef, and ground chicken, respectively. None of the meats were positive for E. coli O157:H7. Resistance of isolates was significantly (p < 0.05) highest in erythromycin (98.3%; 99.1%), followed by tetracycline (94%; 98.3%), vancomycin (88.8%; 92.2%) as compared to chloramphenicol (43.1%; 53.9%), amoxicillin/clavulanic (43.5%; 45.7%), and ciprofloxacin (45.7%; 55.7%) in offal and muscle meats, respectively. Imipenem showed the lowest resistance (0%; 0.9%). A total of 41 multidrug-resistant patterns were displayed. Edible offal could be a source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 1048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beilei Ge ◽  
Kelly J. Domesle ◽  
Stuart A. Gaines ◽  
Claudia Lam ◽  
Sonya M. Bodeis Jones ◽  
...  

The role animal food plays in the introduction of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria into the human food chain is not well understood. We conducted an analysis of 1025 samples (647 pet food and 378 animal feed) collected across the United States during 2005–2011 for two indicator organisms (Escherichia coli and Enterococcus spp.). The overall prevalence ranged from 12.5% for E. coli to 45.2% for Enterococcus spp., and 11.2% of samples harbored both organisms. Regardless of bacterial genus, animal feed had significantly higher prevalence than pet food (p < 0.001). A general downward trend in prevalence was observed from 2005 to 2009 followed by an upward trend thereafter. Among E. coli isolates (n = 241), resistance was highest to tetracycline (11.2%) and below 5% for fourteen other antimicrobials. Among Enterococcus spp. isolates (n = 1074), Enterococcus faecium (95.1%) was the predominant species. Resistance was most common to tetracycline (30.1%) and ciprofloxacin (10.7%), but below 10% for thirteen other antimicrobials. Multidrug-resistant organisms were observed among both E. coli and Enterococcus spp. isolates at 3.3%. Compared to National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) 2011 retail meat and animal data, the overall resistance for both organisms was much lower in animal food. These findings help establish a historic baseline for the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance among U.S. animal food products and future efforts may be needed to monitor changes over time.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (03) ◽  
pp. 426-430
Author(s):  
Suhad Hadi Mohammed ◽  
Maysaa Saleh Mahdi ◽  
Mohanad Mohsin Ahmed ◽  
Ali Najm Al-Deen ◽  
Nargis Fadhil ◽  
...  

Determining the bacterial causative agents of infections by identifying their antimicrobial patterns will enable health institutions to limit the unnecessary use of antibiotics, and take active ways in preventing the spread of drug-resistant bacteria. This study aimed to identify the most common bacterial isolates responsible for infection and their antibiotic resistance rates. The results showed that Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus (S aureus), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) represent the most common bacteria isolated with a percentage of 23.9, 18.8, and 16.2%, respectively. High resistance rates were found for the most common bacterial isolates. Other important findings are the presence of extended-spectrum B-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria and the appearance of hetero-resistance phenomenon. Moreover, the bacterial infection is mainly occurring in men. No significant correlation was observed in the type of isolated bacteria with patient admission status. E. coli strains were found to be highly resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ceftriaxone (88.9%), ceftazidime (85.2%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (74.1%), and ciprofloxacin (59.3%). Whereas, the highest sensitivity rates were seen with meropenem antibiotic (92.6%). Concerning S. aureus isolates, 100, and approximately 91% of resistant rates were seen to penicillin and cefoxitin, respectively [methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)]. Approximately 50% of MRSA were vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA). Resistant rates of P. aeruginosa isolates to gentamycin and ciprofloxacin were 47.1%, amikacin 41.2%, and levofloxacin 35.3%. In conclusion, the current study might reveal that the isolated bacteria could be of critical priority carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa, and carbapenem-resistant and 3rd generation cephalosporin-resistant E. coli. In addition, the isolation of high priority bacteria includes vancomycin-resistant methicillin-resistant S. aureus.


Author(s):  
Özgür Çadırcı ◽  
Ali Gücükoğlu ◽  
Göknur Terzi Güzel ◽  
Tolga Uyanık ◽  
Abdulaziz Abdulahi ◽  
...  

Shiga-like toxin producing Escherichia coli is still an important public issue which causes extremely dangerous health problems. This study was planned in order to examine the inhibitory effect of Modified Atmosphere Packaging application on E. coli O157 and O157: H7. The purposes of the present study were to detect E. coli O157 and O157: H7 strains from ground and cubed beef. A total of 100 MAP cattle meat products (50 minced meat, 50 meat cubes) were collected from the markets and butchers in Samsun province between May and October 2013. According to results, 1(1/50-2%) E. coli O157 and 1(1/50-2%) E. coli O157: H7 strains isolated from 50 ground beef samples, while 1 (1/50-2%) E. coli O157 strain was identified from 50 cubed beef samples. It was determined that E. coli O157 isolate obtained from the MAP ground beef carried stx1, stx2 genes; E. coli O157: H7 isolate carried stx1, stx2, eaeA and hylA genes while E. coli O157 isolate obtained from the MAP cubed meat only carried the stx2 gene. In antibiogram test, both E. coli O157 isolates were resistant to streptomycin and one E. coli O157: H7 isolate was resistant to streptomycin, cephalothin and tetracycline. As a consequence; in order to protect public health, products should be kept in proper hygienic and technical conditions during sale and storage and use of uncontrolled antibiotics should be avoided.


Author(s):  
Devin B. Holman ◽  
Cassidy L. Klima ◽  
Katherine E. Gzyl ◽  
Rahat Zaheer ◽  
Cara Service ◽  
...  

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious challenge facing the agricultural industry. Understanding the flow of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria through the beef fabrication process and into ground beef is an important step in identifying intervention points for reducing AMR.


2018 ◽  
Vol 81 (12) ◽  
pp. 2007-2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
AMIT VIKRAM ◽  
ERIC MILLER ◽  
TERRANCE M. ARTHUR ◽  
JOSEPH M. BOSILEVAC ◽  
TOMMY L. WHEELER ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTU.S. ground beef with “raised without antibiotics” (RWA) label claims are perceived as harboring fewer bacteria with antimicrobial resistance (AMR) than are found in conventional (CONV) ground beef with no such label claim. A total of 370 ground beef samples from CONV (n = 191) and RWA (n = 179) production systems were collected over 13 months from three food service suppliers. The following bacteria were cultured: Escherichia coli, tetracycline-resistant (TETr) E. coli, third-generation cephalosporin-resistant (3GCr) E. coli, Salmonella enterica, TETr S. enterica, 3GCr S. enterica, nalidixic acid–resistant S. enterica, Enterococcus spp., erythromycin-resistant Enterococcus spp., TETr Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus. TETr E. coli was more frequently detected in CONV ground beef (CONV, 54.2%; RWA, 35.2%; P &lt; 0.01), but supplier (P &lt; 0.01) and production system × suppler interaction (P &lt; 0.01) effects were also significant. Metagenomic DNA was isolated from each sample, and equal amounts of metagenomic DNA were pooled by supplier, month, and production system for 75 pooled samples (38 CONV, 37 RWA). The abundance of aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia, aadA1, blaCMY-2, blaCTX-M, blaKPC-2, erm(B), mecA, tet(A), tet(B), and tet(M) genes was assessed by quantitative PCR. The tet(A) (2.9-log2-fold change, P = 0.04) and tet(B) (5.6-log2-fold change) (P = 0.03) genes were significantly more abundant in RWA ground beef. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that ground beef microbiomes differed more by supplier than by production system. These results were consistent with prior research suggesting antimicrobial use in U.S. beef cattle has minimal impact on the AMR of bacteria found in these products. These results should spur a reevaluation of assumptions regarding the impact of antimicrobial use during U.S. beef production on the AMR of bacteria in ground beef.


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