Deadly diseases possible viruses and antibiotic-resistant bacteria in food

Viruses and antibiotic-resistant bacteria: dangerous pathogens in food

Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate that around two million people worldwide die each year from infections caused by contaminated food and contaminated drinking water. Germs are also lurking in many foods in Germany. Some of them can cause deadly diseases.

Microbial risks in food

"Salmonella Egg Recalls", "Noroviruses Detected in Frozen Raspberries", "Hepatitis E Infections by Pork", "Antibiotic-Resistant Microbes in Grilled Meat": Such and similar headlines have been appearing in the media almost weekly for years. But how dangerous are such germs? Experts are now dealing with the microbial risks in food.

The number of food-borne diseases caused by viruses and bacteria is steadily increasing. Often the pathogens are found in the flesh. Some of the germs can be life threatening. (Image: alain wacquier / fotolia.com)

Distressed population

According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), pathogenic microorganisms are among the most common causes of food-borne illnesses. Each year, they cause more than 100,000 diseases in Germany - some of them deadly.

Against this background, two BfR symposia dealing with microbial risks in foodstuffs will be held in November 2018: "Food-associated viruses" on 7 November and "Antibiotic resistance in the food chain" on 8/9. November.

"Microbial risks have reached public awareness," said BfR President Professor Dr. med. Dr. Andreas Hensel in a press release.

"Our current representative population survey, the BfR Consumer Monitor, shows that 97% of respondents have heard of Salmonella in food, or 89% of antibiotic resistance," explains the expert.

The majority of respondents say "that they are worrying about these issues. Everyone is able to minimize the personal health risk through appropriate kitchen hygiene. "

More food-borne diseases

According to the BfR, the number of food-borne illnesses caused by viruses is steadily increasing. For example, more and more hepatitis E is transmitted via food from infected pigs and wild animals.

The cases of food-borne infections with Noro and Hepatitis A viruses are also increasing. To meet the growing importance of these viruses, a European reference laboratory for food-borne viruses has been created.

Although detection methods for viruses in food have improved significantly in recent years, there is still a great deal of research into how these agents are transmitted and what measures can prevent their spread.

Use of antibiotics in animal husbandry is declining

The use of antibiotics in animal husbandry has declined sharply in recent years in this country. Since 2011, the quantities of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products that are given to veterinarians are recorded in Germany.

Since then, these quantities have been steadily decreasing from 1,706 tons in 2011 by 57 percent to around 733 tons in 2017, while at the same time production of meat continues to increase.

The frequency of treatment with antibiotics also decreases in livestock in Germany, as the research project VetCAb (Veterinary Consumption of Antibiotics) of the BfR shows.

In the same period, antibiotic resistance decreased in some bacteria in the food chain.

Fattening poultry as a source of resistant germs

A study for the period from 2009 to 2016 shows that naturally occurring E. coli in chickens and turkeys had a significant decrease in the proportion of resistant bacteria against the majority of antibiotics tested in the study.

Especially drug classes that are used in large quantities or often in livestock, show a declining trend in both the consumption levels and in the resistance rates of E. coli.

However, the study also shows that both fattening poultry chains continue to have high rates of resistance, so that they can continue to be of considerable importance as a source of resistant germs and their resistance genes in humans.

No all-clear for the antibiotic group of fluoroquinolones. Against this, the resistance of some bacterial species has risen in recent years.

For them, there was also no significant decline in the frequency of treatment. Scientists therefore recommend observing this trend in the future.

Resistance to reserve agents

A particular challenge for the healthcare sector is resistance to so-called reserve active substances. These are used in human medicine if the effectiveness of other antibiotics has already been ruled out.

An important member of the reserve drug series is the polypeptide antibiotic colistin. Due to the increase in resistance to other substances, this substance has been upgraded by WHO in importance.

However, the substance was previously among the most commonly used substances in animal husbandry. Because of their importance, global, coordinated action is needed to limit the spread of colistin resistance.

For this purpose, a restrictive use of such reserve active substances is mandatory in the future. (Ad)