Antibiotic Resistance Found In Poultry Even When No Antibiotics Were Used
"ScienceDaily (Mar. 8, 2007 ) — A surprising finding by a team of University of Georgia scientists suggests that curbing the use of antibiotics on poultry farms will do little – if anything – to reduce rates of antibiotic resistant bacteria that have the potential to threaten human health.
Dr. Margie Lee, professor in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine, and her colleagues have found that chickens raised on antibiotic-free farms and even those raised under pristine laboratory conditions have high levels of bacteria that are resistant to common antibiotics.
They found that even birds raised in the pristine laboratory conditions had levels of antibiotic resistance levels comparable to what was seen on farms that used antibiotics.
Lee stresses that for consumers, the advice on poultry is the same that it’s always been. Cook meat thoroughly and use proper food handling and preparation techniques – washing your hands regularly and keeping other foods away from raw chicken, for example – to minimize the risk of illness."