HYDERABAD: Meat-lovers in the State, be wary. A study done on meat samples Hyderabad showed that salmonella, a food-borne bacterial disease, has been actively resisting common antimicrobial drugs available in the market.
And why should this bother you? Though salmonella is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal track and is prevalent all over the world, the study deserves attention as the infection is largely found in poultry, pigs and cattle; Telangana was found to be India’s largest meat-eating state in 2016.
The study called ‘Prevalence of blaSHV gene in cephalosporin-resistant salmonella isolates from meat samples in South India’ published in the International Journal of Scientific Research in Biological Sciences found that among the 75 salmonella infections isolated from the meat samples, 28 were found to be resistant towards cephalosporin and fluoroquinolones -- a large group of antibiotics that treat the infection. It said, “Resistance to fluoroquinolones and the third-generation cephalosporins have been reported as the main cause of treatment failure.”
Now to pop the cardinal question, why exactly are the meat samples resistant towards the drugs? Researchers have cited the frequent use of antimicrobial agents in farm animals as a major factor for the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The use of these agents gives rise to the presence of plasmid DNA that plays a huge role in the acquisition and dissemination of ‘resistance genes’ within the infection. Another reason cited was the lack of rapid laboratory tests.
The findings gain importance because the State government has been working towards making Telangana a hub for meat exports.
Such is the threat that the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers estimated that overall incidence of resistant salmonella-related deaths is as high as 6,200 annually across the world. Meanwhile, non-typhoidal salmonella diseases were estimated to be around 1.2 million and about 450 deaths per year.
Salmonella is not an isolated threat. Other drug-resistant diseases have been on the rise lately. Researchers have claimed that by 2050, drug-resistant infections would become the biggest cause of human death. In fact, in the country, over 58,000 babies died in one year due to infections caused by resistant bacteria passed on from their mothers.
Ways to prevent the bacterial disease
Hyderabad: Though symptoms of salmonellosis are relatively mild and most patients recover without specific treatments, there can be complications. When the infection is acquired by children and elderly patients, it can result in dehydration that can become severe and even life-threatening. As scary as drug-resistant salmonella sounds, there are steps to prevent it. Salmonella is a food-borne infection that is largely in food animals like poultry, pigs and cattle. World Health Organisation recommends that strict quality control measures be followed at all stages of the food chain -- starting from production, to processing, manufacturing and preparation of food in both restaurants and homes.
There is also a possibility of children contracting salmonella from pet animals that already have the disease. WHO also recommends that food is properly cooked and eaten while it’s still hot to avoid the infection. It advises people to avoid the consumption of raw milk and drinks only pasteurised or boiled milk. “When the safety of drinking water is questionable, boil it or disinfect it with a reliable, slow-release disinfectant agent,” it said. It recommended professionals to be vigilant while preparing food.