January 13, 2012

Germany finds resistant bacteria in chickens

Of the 20 chicken tests conducted at supermarkets in German cities, half were positive with Extended Spectrum Beta-lactamase (ESBL) and the methicillin-resistant bacteria MRSA.

"This is the result of persistent abuse of antibiotics," said Hubert Weiger, president of the Environmental Organisation, BUND.

The organisation noted that animals are subjected to prolonged treatment with a combination of different medicines.

According to Weiger, intensive poultry rearing, between 22 and 24 chickens, are maintained per square metre and crowding animals within small spaces are made possible by using large amounts of antibiotics.

Over-use of antibiotics, such as cephalosporins and food additives, in livestock and farm animals promote growth and accelerate the development of resistance to antibiotics.

The proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a danger to people with weak immune systems, such as the elderly, children and pregnant women. In extreme cases, an infection can be fatal.

Within European levels, there is an estimation of about 25,000 infection cases from antibiotic-resistant bacteria a year.