Drug Resistant Salmonella Found in 55,000 Pounds of Turkey Burger

This is what we've been scared of from the start. Drug resistant bacteria in the foods we eat is scary, but the CDC says that's just what's happening. According to a story from CBS Los Angeles, a salmonella strain that caused the recall of nearly 55,000 pounds of frozen raw turkey burgers last week is drug resistant. Twelve people ranging in age from 1 to 86 are infected with the Salmonella Hadar strain of bacteria.

According to the story:

"The recall includes four-pound boxes of Jennie-O's 'All Natural Turkey Burgers with seasonings Lean White Meat.' Each box contains 12 individually wrapped burgers. The packages have a use-by date of Dec. 23, 2011, and identifying lot codes of "32710? through "32780.

The illnesses were reported in 10 states over the past four months, with 3 cases in Wisconsin, and 1 case each in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, and Washington. Three people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported."

The strain is resisting treatments from several antibiotics including ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, cephalothin, and tetracycline.

This comes on the heals of reports of another antibiotic resistant strain of deadly drug-resistant bacteria that's spreading to elderly patients in nursing and long-term care facilities in Los Angeles County, according to CBS Local Los Angeles.

I wrote last week that drug resistance can be caused by the subtherapeutic use of antibiotics. Subtherapeutic use of antibiotics means using them for any use other than sickness, including fattening livestock up rapidly or to quell any sickness caused by cruel treatment or unhealthy living standards that could cause them to get sick in the future. Subtherapeutic use of antibiotics is under fire because scientists are finding that it causes the perfect breeding ground for drug resistant bacteria

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