An outbreak of Salmonella from an unknown source has so far infected 92 people in 29 states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday. This strain, Salmonella Infantis, which can be fatal, is resistant to many antibiotic treatments.
Antibiotic resistance, made worse by the routine overuse of antibiotics on industrial farms, makes treating dangerous foodborne disease outbreaks more difficult, according to U.S. PIRG, a consumer advocacy organization.
“Antibiotic-resistant diseases are sickening millions of people every year and farms aren't doing enough to solve the problem,” said Tano Toussaint, consumer watchdog associate for U.S. PIRG. “But we also need companies – from burger chains to grocery stores – to stop buying meat raised with routine antibiotic use if we want to stave off a rise in antibiotic-resistant diseases such as this one."
U.S. PIRG encourages consumers to visit restaurants that serve meat that wasn't raised on antibiotics. Along with other consumer groups, U.S. PIRG released a “Chain Reaction IV” report and scorecard early this week. It ranks America’s 25 largest burger chains on their policies relating to routine antibiotic use in their beef supply chains
Since this outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella comes from an unknown source, meaning people eating many different brands of chicken purchased all over the country have reported illnesses, consumers need to follow the CDC’s advice when handling raw chicken and avoid eating any chicken that's not fully cooked.
