Posted May 24, 2011
Antibiotic-resistant MRSA was detected in a half-dozen raw meat samples around metro Detroit in a study conducted through January 2010, according to a letter by local researchers the upcoming Emerging Infectious Diseases, a peer-reviewed public health journal by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Still, there’s no need to panic, said Yifan Zhang, an assistant professor of nutrition and food science at Wayne State University who led the research team.
“This study is not trying to scare people, but make people aware that some bugs are in our food. Follow the proper food handling procedures and it will be okay,” she said.
The researchers identified Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, also known as MRSA, in 6 of 289 samples of meat and poultry collected at Metro Detroit grocery stores and butcher shops, Zhang said.
S. aureus is a common type of bacteria that live on the skin and sometimes in the nasal passages of healthy people. But the rare MRSA strain can cause severe and life-threatening infections, especially in healthcare settings where it can enter the body through a cut, sore, catheter or breathing tube. The signs and symptoms will vary by the type and stage of the infection.
The Detroit area samples of raw beef, chicken and turkey were collected from August 2009 to January 2010. S. aureus was found in 65 samples, six of them were the MRSA strain. Because it’s carried by humans, MRSA most likely entered the meat through human handlers, Zhang said.
According to www.foodsafety.gov, meat should be cooked to the following temperatures: poultry to 165 degrees, fresh beef to 145 degrees, and raw pork to 160 degrees.
Contact Robin Erb: 313-222-2708 or rerb@freepress.com
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