Chicken farmers are joining a national bacteria surveillance program.
The industry made the decision after the Public Health Agency of Canada found high levels of antimicrobial resistant salmonella, E. coli and campylobacter in poultry at abattoirs and retail stores compared to beef and pork. These bacteria are linked to food borne illnesses.
“We have seen that data and the industry wants to know what’s going on and why some of these things are happening,” said Steve Leech, national program director with Chicken Farmers of Canada.
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The results of the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS) were reported at a recent antimicrobial resistance conference in Toronto.
Under CIPARS, flocks will be sampled when the birds are placed on farms and before they are shipped to market. A pilot project through the University of Guelph is also comparing bacterial levels among conventional, antibiotic free and organic flocks.
“That type of surveillance will give us a much better understanding of why we are seeing some of the things we are seeing and potentially some of the sources,” Leech said in an interview.
Rebecca Irwin of the Public Health Agency of Canada and a founding member of CIPARS reported that the program found resistant forms of bacteria, particularly in retail chicken in British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
Alberta and Manitoba were not part of the surveillance because of a lack of staff and funds.
The program also checked pork, beef and seafood samples from across Canada to assess antibiotic use and measure the level of resistance found in the bacteria. A human component is also monitored on an ongoing basis.
Bacteria loads were higher in retail poultry samples than those from processing plants. Officials suspect that bacteria increased as the poultry was handled along the food chain.
In the most recent CIPARS report from 2008, retail chicken from British Columbia and Saskatchewan showed campylobacter resistance to certain drugs in eight and 10 percent of isolates, respectively.
There were also higher levels of antimicrobial resistant E. coli. The percentage of E. coli isolates from Quebec and Saskatchewan with resistance to ceftiofur was significantly higher in 2008 than in 2007 and 2005, the first year of surveillance.
However, bacteria are part of life, and consumers are reminded to think about proper handling of food and hygiene. They are the last link in the chain of food quality assurance, said Lisa Bishop-Spencer of Chicken Farmers of Canada.
The organization is part of a larger food safety program that promotes proper handling and cooking of meat and eggs, telling consumers to “cook, chill, separate and clean.”
Its website also features a section on antibiotic use and proper poultry handling.
“The connection in the consumer’s mind isn’t on antibiotics, it is on salmonella itself,” said Bishop-Spencer.
For safe handling tips, visit www.chicken.ca.
Antimicrobial drugs of concern for poultry sector
•Antimicrobial resistance has two implications: drugs are no longer effective in treating disease if bacteria becomes resistant to certain antibiotics; and resistant bacteria may be able to transfer antimicrobial resistance genes to other bacteria that cause disease in humans.
•The biggest concern is with Category 1 antimicrobials such as Bactria, A180, Excenel and Excede, which are related to drugs used to treat serious human infections. Category 2 drugs such as Tylan, Draxxin, and Micotil are of intermediate concern. Category 3 drugs such as tetracyclines are of less concern because they are rarely used to treat serious human health problems. The least important animal drugs are the Category 4 ionophores such as Rumensin, Bovatec and Posistac that are never used in human medicine.
Source: Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
