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Study Suggests Chickens Are Being Infected by 'Human' Bacteria

by mudricky | October 26, 2009 at 01:44 pm

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Scientists from The Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, Scotland have released findings that strains of bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus (mainly the MRSA sub-type) known in humans has moved onto chickens.

They believe it may have happened, not in that last few years (that's what I expected to read) - but 40 years ago.

They believe the bacteria has spread like it has because of intensive farming and globalisation.

They argue that fewer breeding lines in an industry dominated by multinationals has helped spread bacteria.

The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

They found that a form of Staphylococcus Aureus - of which MRSA is a sub-type - remained confined to one geographical area in humans, but in chickens it was spread across different continents.

Dr Ross Fitzgerald of The Roslin Institute said: ""Half a century ago chickens were reared for their eggs, with meat regarded as a by-product."

"Now the demand for meat has led to a poultry industry dominated by a few multinational companies which supply a limited number of breeding lines to a global market - thereby promoting the spread of the bacteria around the world."

This was a story that, at first, surprised me but afterwards, when I though about it I was not surprised.

Everything is mass produced these days with very little thought or care.