"Is Poultry Meat Harmful?" Study Raises Concern

One of the primary sources for people who consume meat are poultry farms. These farms not only produce fresh meat, but also make it convenient for people to buy meat. However, a recent study has raised concerns about the safety of the poultry industry. It suggests that consuming meat from animals such as chickens, pigs and other cattle may be making people resistant to important antibiotics such as Tetracycline and Vancomycin.

Ionophore And The Resistance

A recent study published in mSphere, the journal of the American Society for Microbiology, claims that certain antibiotics routinely used in traditional poultry farming are playing a role in promoting antibiotic resistance in humans. Dr Alex Wong, Asalia Ibrahim and Jason Au from the Department of Biology at Carleton University centred their research around ionophores—a category of antibiotics used in poultry farming and once thought to be of little importance to human health.

“This research underscores the importance of understanding the interconnectedness of animal and human health,” explains Dr Alex Wong, the lead author of the study. “While ionophores have long been considered safe for use in poultry to prevent parasitic infections, this study suggests that ionophore use could fuel the growth of antibiotic resistance to medically relevant drugs,” Wong added.

Kanika Malhotra, Dietitian and Communications Expert, HealthPresso, says that when using ionophores, it may unintentionally promote bacteria to carry both forms of resistance, making them more difficult to eliminate with the medicines we need and increasing the risk that clinically important antimicrobial resistance could potentially jump from animal agriculture to human healthcare. “This study provides informative context to the dialogue currently happening in the scientific community regarding antibiotic resistance and future research and policy deliberation, and provides evidence that the widespread use of ionophores arguably poses a threat to human health,” the expert adds.

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Antibiotic Use In Farming

Ionophores are a class of antibiotics commonly used in poultry animals to prevent a gut infection called coccidiosis (anti-coccidials) and to promote growth in them. Ionophores are not used in treating humans, so researchers previously assumed that they do not contribute to clinically relevant antibiotic resistance and that its effect on human health was negligible. However, researchers now believe that ionophores might actually contribute indirectly to antibiotic resistance, as the genes - called narA and narB- that are responsible for bacteria resistance to ionophores are located quite close to other resistance genes for antibiotics that are used in humans. In other words, when animals are exposed to ionophores, and you consume them, it makes the bacteria in your body resistant to antibiotics more resistant, even to drugs that are commonly used as antibiotics such as Tetracycline and Vancomycin.

The researchers found that narA and narB genes were present in 2,442 bacterial isolates from 51 countries, primarily in Enterococcus faecalis and E faecium but also in eight other bacterial species. The isolates were primarily from poultry but also derived from swine and cattle. And more than 500 were collected from people, a finding the researchers say indicates there's been some transfer from farm animals to humans.

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“As dieticians, while our primary focus is nutritional adequacy, we cannot ignore food safety and antibiotic stewardship. This study reinforces the need to promote animal products from antibiotic-responsible sources, support organic, pasture-raised, or certified antibiotic-free animal foods when possible and educate clients about Anti Microbial Resistance as part of ethical and safe dietary choices,” Kanika Malhotra tells us.

Conclusion

Poultry producers around the world are gradually shifting to ‘No Iophores Use’ as concerns come to light. The use of such antibiotics are neither beneficial for the animals, nor the consumers as proven by the research.