Antibiotics in Chicken May Be Causing New Superbug in Humans Say Researchers

Summary

New research suggests a direct link between antibiotic-resistant superbugs found in chickens and recurring bladder infections in humans. A joint investigation by ABC News and the Food and Environment Reporting Network reveals that E. coli, present in antibiotic-fed chickens, may be contributing to these infections. The widespread use of antibiotics in livestock, particularly chickens, raises concerns as more infections become harder to cure, especially in women. While the chicken industry disputes the findings, the cost of treating such infections is rising, adding to a public health crisis.

Takeaways

• 🔬 New research suggests a link between superbugs and bladder infections, potentially worsened or caused by antibiotic-fed chickens.
• 🚺 Around 8 million women, including the 29-year-old Adrian LeBeau, suffer from recurring bladder infections that are increasingly hard to cure.
• 🦠 Superbugs, particularly antibiotic-resistant E. coli, are suspected to be transmitted to humans through chickens and other livestock.
• 🍗 Researchers have found similar or related strains of E. coli in human infections and in retail chicken meat.
• 💊 Antibiotics are widely used in agriculture, with 80% of antibiotics sold in the U.S. being given to livestock, including healthy chickens.
• 🐣 Chickens are often treated with antibiotics starting from when they are still in eggs to prevent disease and accelerate growth.
• 📊 The chicken industry argues that overuse of antibiotics in humans may also be a factor, and no direct study proving transmission from poultry to humans can be ethically conducted.
• 📉 However, researchers present persuasive evidence that chicken contains bacteria with high resistance to antibiotics.
• 😷 Many women report temporary relief from bladder infections, only for the infection to return stronger, leading to persistent health issues.
• 💸 The rising cost of treatment due to antibiotic resistance has pushed healthcare expenses for bladder infections to over $1 billion annually.

Q & A

What is the primary health issue discussed in the transcript?

The primary health issue discussed is the increasing occurrence of bladder infections, which are becoming more difficult to cure due to antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Who is one of the individuals mentioned as suffering from a persistent bladder infection?

Adrian LeBeau, a 29-year-old woman, is mentioned as suffering from a persistent bladder infection that won’t go away.

What connection does the research suggest between bladder infections and chickens?

The research suggests a connection between antibiotic-resistant E. coli found in chickens and the superbugs that are causing persistent bladder infections in humans.

What role do antibiotics play in this issue, according to the research?

Antibiotics, which are widely fed to chickens to prevent disease and promote faster growth, may be contributing to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are transmitted to humans.

How prevalent is antibiotic use in livestock, according to the FDA?

The FDA states that 80% of all antibiotics sold in the United States are fed to livestock, including healthy chickens, to protect them from disease and promote faster growth.

Why is it difficult to prove a direct link between superbugs from poultry and human infections?

It is difficult to prove a direct link because conducting a study that would intentionally infect humans with bacteria from poultry would be unethical.

What evidence do researchers present to support their claims about antibiotic-resistant bacteria in chickens?

Researchers have found the same or related strains of E. coli in human infections and retail meat sources, specifically chicken, which they suggest indicates a connection.

What alternative explanations does the chicken industry provide for the rise of superbugs?

The chicken industry suggests that the overuse of antibiotics by humans could also be a factor in the rise of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

What is the economic impact of this issue on the healthcare system?

The cost of treating bladder infections has risen to over a billion dollars a year because multiple courses of antibiotics are often required due to the persistence of these infections.

How do patients like Adrian LeBeau experience the effects of superbug-related infections?

Patients like Adrian LeBeau experience recurrent bladder infections that are temporarily cured but return with greater severity, indicating the difficulty in treating infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Outlines

00:00

🦠 Superbug Linked to Chicken and Bladder Infections

New research suggests that a superbug linked to chickens could be worsening or even causing bladder infections. A joint investigation by ABC News and the Food and Environment Reporting Network explores the potential connection between antibiotic-resistant superbugs found in chickens and recurring human infections, particularly E. coli. This infection is difficult to treat due to its resistance to antibiotics.

💊 Antibiotic Resistance and Bladder Infections in Women

Approximately 8 million women, like 29-year-old Adrian LeBeau, suffer from recurring bladder infections, with symptoms that seem impossible to cure. These infections now occur more frequently and are more difficult to treat, likely due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in common food sources, such as chicken. E. coli in chickens is increasingly linked to these persistent infections.

🍗 Chicken as a Source of Drug-Resistant E. coli

Researchers have found that the E. coli responsible for bladder infections in humans is genetically similar to E. coli found in retail meat, particularly chicken. This discovery highlights the possibility of a direct link between the difficult-to-treat infections in humans and the antibiotic-fed chickens sold in grocery stores. The overuse of antibiotics in agriculture could be a key factor.

🔬 FDA and the Role of Antibiotics in Agriculture

The FDA reveals that 80% of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used on livestock, even on healthy animals, to prevent disease and promote faster growth. Chickens are often given antibiotics from when they are in the egg. The chicken industry, however, counters that human overuse of antibiotics could also be to blame for the rise of resistant infections, though definitive studies proving direct transfer from poultry to humans remain impossible due to ethical concerns.

📉 Urinary Tract Infections: Recurrence and Rising Costs

Women who suffer from bladder infections, like Mandy, often find that the symptoms return after temporary relief. The growing epidemic of urinary tract infections is causing significant pain and financial strain on millions of women, with treatment costs exceeding $1 billion annually due to the increasing ineffectiveness of antibiotics, requiring longer and more expensive treatments.

Keywords

💡Superbug

A superbug is a strain of bacteria that has become resistant to antibiotics, making infections harder to treat. In the context of the video, superbugs are linked to the overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, particularly in chickens, which may be worsening or even causing bladder infections in humans.

💡Bladder infections

Bladder infections are infections that affect the urinary system, causing symptoms like pain and discomfort. The video highlights that millions of women suffer from recurring bladder infections, which may be increasingly difficult to treat due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria possibly originating from poultry.

💡E.coli

E.coli is a type of bacteria commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals. While many strains are harmless, some can cause serious infections. The video suggests that antibiotic-resistant E.coli from chicken could be transmitted to humans, contributing to difficult-to-cure bladder infections.

💡Antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria evolve to resist the effects of antibiotics, making infections harder to treat. This is a central theme in the video, which links the overuse of antibiotics in chickens to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing persistent human infections.

💡Chicken

Chicken, as a common source of food, is a focal point in the video. The investigation reveals that chickens raised in cramped conditions are often given antibiotics to prevent disease and promote growth. This practice may contribute to the development of superbugs, which are then passed to humans.

💡Antibiotic use in agriculture

The use of antibiotics in agriculture, especially in livestock like chickens, is discussed as a practice intended to prevent disease and promote growth. The video suggests that this widespread use may be responsible for the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that affect human health.

💡FDA

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is mentioned in the video as the regulatory body responsible for overseeing food safety in the U.S. According to the video, the FDA reports that 80% of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used in livestock, highlighting the scale of antibiotic use in agriculture.

💡Recurring infections

Recurring infections are infections that return after initially being treated. The video discusses how women, like Adrian LeBeau, experience recurring bladder infections that are increasingly difficult to treat, possibly due to superbugs originating from antibiotic-fed chickens.

💡Cost of treatment

The cost of treatment refers to the economic burden of managing infections, particularly those caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The video notes that treating recurring bladder infections has become more expensive because standard antibiotics are often ineffective, leading to higher healthcare costs.

💡Ethical limitations in research

The video mentions that direct studies to prove the transmission of superbugs from chickens to humans cannot be done for ethical reasons. This highlights the challenges researchers face in establishing definitive proof of how antibiotic use in agriculture affects human health.

Highlights

New research suggests a superbug linked to chickens could be worsening or even causing bladder infections.

A joint investigation by ABC News and the Food and Environment Reporting Network highlights a possible connection between superbugs and bladder infections.

Eight million women in the U.S. suffer from bladder infections, with infections now occurring more often and lasting longer.

Medical researchers are investigating the transmission of superbugs, specifically E. coli, from chickens to humans.

E. coli strains found in human infections and retail chicken meat are closely related, suggesting a potential link.

The compelling evidence points to the role of antibiotic-fed chickens in transmitting antibiotic-resistant bacteria to humans.

FDA data shows 80% of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are fed to livestock, including healthy chickens, to promote growth and prevent disease.

Chickens often receive antibiotics from the time they are still in the egg.

The chicken industry argues that overuse of antibiotics by humans could also be a contributing factor, and direct transmission from poultry has not been definitively proven.

Researchers argue that ethical concerns prevent studies from proving direct superbug transmission from poultry to humans.

Chicken meat has been found to carry bacteria with the highest levels of resistance to antibiotics.

Many women who suffer from urinary infections report that treatments provide temporary relief, only for the infections to return.

Urinary infections are not only painful but also expensive, with treatment costs exceeding one billion dollars annually.

The growing resistance to antibiotics means multiple courses of treatment are often necessary to combat infections.

Superbug-related infections could become more difficult to treat as antibiotic resistance continues to rise.

Transcripts

new research suggests that a superbug

link to the chicken weed could be

worsening or even causing bladder

infections ABC's Jim Avila has the

results of a joint investigation by the

ABC News and the food and environment

Reporting Network it could be called

America's most persistent pain what are

you having these symptoms right now yes

you again eight million women including

29 year-old Adrian LeBeau suffer from

bladder infections it feels like I have

some type of infection that just won't

go away

infections that now occur more often and

lasts longer because according to a

growing number of medical researchers

worldwide superbugs resistant to

antibiotics and growing in America's

favorite food chickens are being

transmitted to humans in the form of

e.coli we're finding the same or related

e.coli in human infections and in retail

meat sources specifically chicken if the

researchers are right what's new here is

this is compelling evidence of a direct

link between the pervasive difficult to

cure human disease in the antibiotic fed

chicken we buy at the grocery store what

this new research shows is that we may

in fact know where it's coming from it

may be coming from antibiotic use in

agriculture the FDA says 80% of all

antibiotics sold in the United States

are fed to livestock even healthy

chickens to protect them from disease in

cramped quarters and to help them grow

bigger faster we're particularly

interested in chickens they in many

cases are getting drugs from the time

they were in an egg the chicken industry

says there could be other factors

overuse of antibiotics by humans and no

study has proven that a superbug from

poultry transfers directly to a human

but researchers point out a study like

that cannot be done it's unethical and

there is persuasive evidence they say

that chicken carries bacteria with the

highest levels of resistance to medicine

did you think I'll go to the doctor

it'll be cured yes I did

yeah Mandy what did you find out oh it

was cure for a little while and then it

comes back with a vengeance the epidemic

of urinary infections in this country is

not only painful painful for millions of

women it is expensive the cost of

treatment because not just

one course of antibiotics works anymore

has risen to more than a billion dollars

a year