They are called carbapenemases. Behind this barbaric name are hidden enzymes produced by certain bacteria, capable of rendering the most powerful antibiotics ineffective, the famous carbapenems. These drugs are used as a last resort, when nothing else works. The problem is that these bacteria have been found in the food chain.
Bacteria that are resistant to (almost) everything
Since 2011, 14 European countries (including Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden) have identified these resistant bacteria in livestock, particularly in pigs and cattle. And the trend is not really downward. Italy saw a peak in 2021, followed by Spain and Portugal in 2023. Although they are still rarely found in meat in supermarkets, their presence in livestock is becoming increasingly common.
The bacteria concerned? Regulars of the genre, like E. coli, Klebsiella, or Salmonella. They wander quietly in the intestines of animals, sometimes in derived products, and can develop resistance if they encounter antibiotics too often. And even if controls exist, the Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recognizes that they are still too limited: few studies focus on, for example, seafood or vegetables.
Can these bacteria pass from meat to humans? For now, nothing is certain. But there are clues. Some strains found in humans are almost identical to those detected in animals. In 2022 and 2023, human cases of carbapenem-resistant Salmonella enterica were reported, and while the same strain has not been found in livestock, it is starting to become a lot of coincidences.
Another troubling element: pieces of DNA carrying resistance genes (plasmids) have been found in in both animal and human bacteria. This does not prove transmission through food, but it is worth investigating.
Ten EU countries already have plans in place to track and contain these bacteria. EFSA recommends expanding surveillance to more types of food, strengthening detection methods, and conducting investigations to understand how these microbes circulate.
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