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A deadly multidrug epidemic Salmonella this year, 225 people in the United States who became sick in the early US may have been stimulated by the sharp increase in the use of some antibiotics in cows a year ago, said investigators week on infectious diseases.
From June 2018 to March 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified an epidemic of Salmonella enterica Newport serotype. The strain was resistant to several antibiotics, including azithromycin, a treatment recommended against Salmonella enterica infections. Prior to the outbreak, azithromycin resistance of this germ was extremely rare. In fact, it was only seen in the United States for the first time in 2016.
Yet, during the 2018-2019 epidemic, it affected at least 225 people in 32 states. Of the patients, at least 60 were hospitalized and two died. (The researchers did not have complete data on the health of everyone who was ill in the epidemic.)
Infectious disease investigators investigating the cases traced the infections to US beef and soft cheese from Mexico (mainly queso fresco, usually made from unpasteurized milk). Genetic testing suggests that cows in both countries carry the germ.
In a report released Aug. 23 by the CDC, investigators note that a year ago, the Food and Drug Administration had recorded a sharp increase in the use of antibiotics called macrolides by cattle breeders. livestock. From 2016 to 2017, breeders increased their use of macrolide antibiotics by 41%. Macrolides are a class of antibiotics including azithromycin. Because antibiotics in a class operate in a similar way to kill bacteria, bacterial resistance to a drug in one class could lead to resistance to other drugs in the same class.
The researchers suggested that increased use of macrolides could have promoted the onset and spread of the azithromycin resistant Newport strain.
"Given that the use of antibiotics in livestock can result in the selection of resistant strains, the 41% increase in macrolide use reported in US cattle between 2016 and 2017 could have accelerated the transport of the epidemic strain in American cattle, "they wrote.
"Avoiding the unnecessary use of antibiotics in cattle, especially those important for the treatment of human infections, could help prevent the spread of the virus. [multi-drug resistant] Newport with reduced sensitivity to azithromycin. "
In recent years, about 70% of all medically important antibiotics in the United States have been sold for use in animals. Advocates of public health say that the use of antibiotics in the agricultural sector should be significantly reduced to preserve the effectiveness of drugs.
To reduce the risk of infections (drug-resistant and non-drug-resistant), health officials recommend that consumers do not consume unpasteurized milk cheeses and ensure that beef reaches safe cooking temperatures: 62.8 ° C (145 ° F) for steaks and roasts, followed by a 3-minute rest and 71.1 ° C (160 ° F) for ground beef or hamburgers.
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