Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Investigation of multi-drug resistant microbes in retail meats

Author(s):

Philip A. Chan ¹, Sarah E. Wakeman ¹, Adele Angelone ², Leonard A. Mermel ^{1, 3*}

Recieved Date: 2008-04-05, Accepted Date: 2008-08-25

Abstract:

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and other multi-drug resistant organisms have been identified in retail meat from Europe and Asia, but no published reports regarding meat products in the United States. Uncooked beef, chicken and pork from 10 butcher shops and supermarkets were sampled for the presence of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacteria and Escherichia coli 0157:H7. Only one of 36 samples (3%) grew any of these microbes, the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacterium Serratia fonticola, found in a pork sample. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from four samples, but all were methicillin-susceptible isolates. Both “natural” and “conventional” meat products were tested. A potential source of multi-drug resistant bacteria in humans may be contaminated commercial meat products. However, based on our preliminary study, the prevalence of such potential pathogens in the Northeast US meat supply may be relatively low at this time.

Keywords:

MRSA, meat, contamination, beef, chicken, pork

---

Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2008
Volume: 6
Issue: 3&4
Category: Food and Health
Pages: 71-75

---

Full text for Subscribers

---

Information:

Note to users

The requested document is freely available only to subscribers/registered users with an online subscription to the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment. If you have set up a personal subscription to this title please enter your user name and password. All abstracts are available for free.

Article purchasing

If you like to purchase this specific document such as article, review or this journal issue, contact us. Specify the title of the article or review, issue, number, volume and date of the publication. Software and compilation, Science & Technology, all rights reserved. Your use of this website details or service is governed by terms of use. Authors are invited to check from time to time news or information.

---

Purchase this Article:   20 Purchase PDF Order Reprints for 15

---

Share this article :