Latest news with #IssmatKassem
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Just one serving of a favorite summer food raises risk of contracting super bacteria resistant to treatments
People indulging in a shrimp cocktail or seafood salad this summer could be at risk of potentially fatal antibiotic-resistant infections, scientists warn. Researchers in Georgia have found that seafood favorites like shellfish and scallops imported into the US may be contaminated with bacteria that is resistant to colistin, a 'last-resort' medication used to kill bacteria that isn't cleared by other treatments. And consuming the seafood could lead to the gastrointestinal tract being colonized by the bacteria, experts suggest, which could wait for the immune system to weaken before causing a deadly infection. It's not known exactly how many strains of bacteria are resistant the drug, but experts are worried that the number is growing amid widespread overuse of antibiotics, allowing bacteria to mutate and become better at evading treatments. Colistin is only used when standard treatments have failed — typically against pneumonia or sepsis, a life-threatening blood infection. Scientists have long voiced concern about rising drug resistance, warning it could turn previously treatable infections into life-threatening diseases. Lead researcher Issmat Kassem, a microbiologist, warned: 'We love our seafood. [But] if you go out to lunch today, your plate might have ingredients from six, seven, eight countries. 'Some countries do not have strict regulations for using antibiotics in food animal production, so imported food can be a vehicle for transmission of resistance.' Colistin was first discovered in the 1950s but doctors stopped using it by the 1980s because it was revealed patients using the drug were found to suffer from damage to the nerves and kidneys. However, a rise in drug-resistant infections in the 1990s saw use of the medication increase as there was a need for new treatments. Data online suggests that colistin is currently administered to fewer than 1,000 seriously ill patients in the US every year, although this number continues to rise. For the study, researchers tested shrimp and scallops bought from eight seafood markets in Atlanta, Georgia. The team tested samples for the colistin-resistance genes known as mcr. At least 10 types of mcr genes have now been identified, with scientists warning they might spread though imported and exported food. It wasn't clear how the resistant bacteria had ended up on seafood, but previous research has suggested this may happen if rainwater falls on farms and then flows into the waters where the fish or crustaceans are being farmed. More than 90 percent of seafood consumed in the US is imported, with major sellers including China, Norway, Ecuador, Chile and India. The food is screened for numerous contaminants, like mercury, PFAS and antibiotics, but is not checked for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. And each country has varying regulations when it comes to collecting, storing, slaughtering and exporting or importing goods for consumption. In some countries, farm animals, including farmed seafood, may be treated with colistin, which studies show may marginally boost their growth rates. A 2023 study suggested that despite concerns over resistance, the antibiotic was still being widely used for feed in some low- and middle-income countries. It is also given sometimes to prevent outbreaks because of the unsanitary conditions some animals are kept in. It was not clear what the name of the colistin-resistant bacteria was, or which countries the imported seafood had come from. The findings were revealed in a presentation for ASM Microbiome 2025 in Los Angeles, the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. It is set to be published as a study in the journal mSphere. The scientists cautioned that their study focused on just one food group, but said it was likely that others also posed a risk. The team added that the drug-resistant bacteria they found on the seafood matched a strain they had also detected in wastewater in the city, suggesting the bacteria was spreading in the community. Antibiotic resistant bacteria are a growing risk in America, with more than 2.8million infections now recorded every year — and with treatment costs having more than doubled since 2002. Around 35,000 people die from antibiotic-resistant infections in the US every year. While much of seafood is consumed raw in the summer, people can reduce their risk by cooking the food, which likely kills the resistant bacteria. But Americans should be extra vigilant as the bacteria can still be spread onto the surface food is prepared on — raising the risk of infection. Older individuals and pregnant women are already advised not to eat raw seafood, especially sushi, which can put them at a higher risk of infection because of their weakened immune systems.
Hans India
2 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Imported seafood increasing resistance to colistin, a potent antibiotic: Study
A team of US researchers on Sunday said it has identified a way that colistin (a potent, last-resort antibiotic) resistance genes are spreading via imported seafood. Colistin is used only to treat people with dangerous, life-threatening bacterial infections that have developed resistance to other drugs. But it's not foolproof. Worldwide, resistance to colistin is spreading, further diminishing treatment options and putting infected people at higher risk. Researchers from the University of Georgia recently identified a way that colistin resistance genes are spreading. In a new study, microbiologist Issmat Kassem, and his group have reported the first isolation of colistin-resistance genes in bacteria found in imported shrimp and scallops, purchased from 8 food markets around Atlanta. 'Many people don't know that most seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, Kassem said, including about 90 per cent of shrimp. Imported seafood is screened for contaminants but the process doesn't catch everything, especially antimicrobial resistance genes. 'The bacteria that were carrying colistin resistance genes are not normally screened.' Kassem and his group also found that some of the resistance genes are carried on plasmids — round bits of genetic material that can be transmitted from bacteria to bacteria. Antimicrobial resistant infections kill hundreds of thousands of people globally every year, and antimicrobial resistance is a rising public health menace. Colistin was first introduced in the 1950s to treat infections by pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria, but it takes a heavy toll on patients, including increased risk of damage to the nerves and kidneys. It was discontinued in the U.S. in the 1980s. However, Kassem noted, other countries continued to use it in agricultural settings, both to treat infections and to promote animal growth. Colistin was eventually reintroduced to human medicine because it was one of the few options available to treat certain bacterial infections. The World Health Organization categorises colistin as a high priority critically important antibiotic, which means it is an essential option for treating serious human infections. Researchers cautioned that the group identified 1 source of colistin resistance, but there could be other, and they're likely spreading.
