Organic farms harbor less antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Poultry farms that use organic methods that don’t involve antibiotics have significantly lower levels of drug-resistant bacteria that can potentially spread to human, according to a new study led by the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a problem for health care providers whose choices become limited in treating infection in humans, but there hasn’t been enough data on the sources. So, researchers say the findings, published Aug. 10 online in Environmental Health Perspectives, are important.

Antibiotic use has been commonplace for decades on large farms in aiding production of meat. But that has drawn the ire of environmentalists and some health advocates.

The study may provide fuel to the argument. It suggests restricting antibiotic use from large-scare poultry farms can reduce resistance for some bacteria quickly.

“We initially hypothesized that we would see some differences in on-farm levels of antibiotic- resistant enterococci when poultry farms transitioned to organic practices,” said Dr. Amy Sapkota, an assistant professor with the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health in the School of Public Health. “But we were surprised to see that the differences were so significant across several different classes of antibiotics even in the very first flock that was produced after the transition to organic standards. It is very encouraging.”

The researchers from Maryland, Pennsylvania State University and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tested for the common chicken enterococci bacteria in poultry litter feed and water in 10 conventional and 10 newly organic poultry houses in the mid-Atlantic region. Then they tested resistance to 17 common antimicrobials.

All farms tested positive for the bacteria, the organic farms had less of the antibiotic- resistant enterococci. With more organic farms over time, the researchers say they would expect drug-resistance to drop much more dramatically.

Poultry Water Supply Bacteria - News


Organic farms harbor less antibiotic-resistant bacteria

The researchers from Maryland, Pennsylvania State University and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tested for the common chicken enterococci bacteria in poultry litter feed and water in 10 conventional and 10 newly organic poultry houses



Organic farming reduces resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, study finds
Organic farming reduces resistance of bacteria to antibiotics, study finds

They tested for the presence of a bacteria known as enterococci in poultry litter, feed and water and for whether the organisms were resistant to 17 commonly used drugs. All the farms tested positive for the bacteria. But the farms that had recently



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Contact with animals, meat or milk -- and even exposure to bacteria via the air or water -- can pose a public health threat. Of course, blame has also long been directed at the widespread use of antibiotics within medicine. Doctors have begun limiting



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Timely food warning from Clarrie of The Archers

Bacteria such as Campylobacter can be found in raw poultry and meat, unpasteurised milk and untreated water. Pets with diarrhoea can also be a source of infection. Salmonella can be found in raw poultry and meat, eggs and raw unwashed vegetables and




Organic farms harbor less antibiotic-resistant bacteria — Las ...

Published: August 18. 2011 4:00AM PST

Poultry farms that use organic methods that don’t involve antibiotics have significantly lower levels of drug-resistant bacteria that can potentially spread to human, according to a new study led by the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have become a problem for health care providers whose choices become limited in treating infection in humans, but there hasn’t been enough data on the sources. So, researchers say the findings, published Aug. 10 online in Environmental Health Perspectives, are important.

Antibiotic use has been commonplace for decades on large farms in aiding production of meat. But that has drawn the ire of environmentalists and some health advocates.

The study may provide fuel to the argument. It suggests restricting antibiotic use from large-scare poultry farms can reduce resistance for some bacteria quickly.

“We initially hypothesized that we would see some differences in on-farm levels of antibiotic- resistant enterococci when poultry farms transitioned to organic practices,” said Dr. Amy Sapkota, an assistant professor with the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health in the School of Public Health. “But we were surprised to see that the differences were so significant across several different classes of antibiotics even in the very first flock that was produced after the transition to organic standards. It is very encouraging.”

The researchers from Maryland, Pennsylvania State University and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tested for the common chicken enterococci bacteria in poultry litter feed and water in 10 conventional and 10 newly organic poultry houses in the mid-Atlantic region. Then they tested resistance to 17 common antimicrobials.

All farms tested positive for the bacteria, the organic farms had less of the antibiotic- resistant enterococci. With more organic farms over time, the researchers say they would expect drug-resistance to drop much more dramatically.


Poultry Water Supply Bacteria - Bookshelf

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