E. coli threatens Finland poultry production
E. coli bacteria, with properties suggesting they could be pathogenic also to humans, have been found in Finnish poultry flocks.
In recent years, E. coli and salmonella bacteria, which produce extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) or are resistant to fluoroquinolones, have been found in poultry meat produced in some EU countries and elsewhere in the world.
Resistance based on ESBL production has quickly become more common in human E. coli infections also in Finland. The ESBL and fluoroquinolone resistance of bacteria present in poultry is believed to be linked with the use of fluoroquinolones in animal production. In Finland, fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins are not used at all in the medication of poultry. The use of other antibiotics is also extremely limited due to the good disease status.
Some of the E. coli strains pathogenic to poultry, dogs and humans are completely identical. These bacteria cause extra-intestinal infections and trigger various inflammatory diseases, resulting in considerable production losses and deterioration in the well-being of the birds.
The use of antibacterial drugs in animal production led to the emergence of drug resistant bacteria in food producing animals.
ESBL and fluoroquinolone resistance as well as E. coli bacteria causing generalized infections can be transmitted from animals to people. Thus, they constitute a zoonosis threat.
A research project is about to be launched to gather information about the prevalence of these infections and resistance factors in animals and people in Finland. The project will also focus on the prevention of E. coli infections in poultry and for the reduction of contamination at slaughter.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has granted funding for the project for 2010-2012. The research project is a collaboration between Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira, the National Institute for Health and Welfare THL, the Ruralia Institute at the University of Helsinki, HK-Ruokatalo Oy and Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
