Poultry on the Estonian market is infected with superbugs, a study says

Superbugs are a growing problem for the global livestock industry, tightly linked to the issue of responsible antibiotic use. Photo: Canva

Imported poultry meat on the Estonian market is contaminated with campylobacters resistant to antibiotics and potentially hazardous to customers, a researcher has reported.

“The current study revealed that broiler chicken meat of Lithuanian and Latvian origin sold in Estonian retail stores was contaminated with highly resistant Campylobacter spp,” Triin Tedersoo, a researcher from the Estonian University of Life Sciences said, adding that high genetic diversity was observed among the Campylobacter isolates from fresh broiler chicken meat samples.

The study’s findings are alarming: a staggering 90.2% of the Campylobacter strains isolated from broiler chicken meat in 2018–2019 were resistant to one or more antimicrobials. This means that a significant share of poultry on the Estonian market is potentially hazardous to consumers. In contrast, Campylobacter isolates from fresh broiler chicken meat of Estonian origin were sensitive to all the tested antimicrobials, highlighting the need for better practices in the poultry industry.

The AMR profile of Lithuanian broiler chicken meat isolates overlapped with those isolated from humans in Estonia.

Tedersoo concluded that Lithuanian and Latvian broiler chicken meat sold in Estonian retail stores was contaminated with highly resistant Campylobacter spp. Not only was chicken meat found infected with superbugs, but the study revealed that pigs were carriers of antimicrobial-resistant C. coli, though the researchers have not said anything about the origin of the infected products.

Superbugs fears

The scientist’s warning is clear: consuming poultry contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria can pose serious health risks. This is a matter of public concern and should be addressed urgently.

“Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in food can reach consumers and pose a threat to their health. To mitigate the incidence of antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter spp., it is critical to adhere to treatment guidelines for both humans and animals, as well as implement proper practices at the farm level,” Tedersoo said.

Latvian and Lithuanian poultry industry organisations have yet to react to the study results.

Superbugs are a growing problem for the global livestock industry, tightly linked to the issue of responsible antibiotic use.

A total of 127,840 confirmed cases of human campylobacteriosis were reported in 2021, with a notification rate of 41.1 per 100,000 people in the EU. Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are the main Campylobacter species causing 80% and 10% of human infections, respectively. The majority of Campylobacter spp. infections are mild and self-limiting.

However, it can result in severe systemic illness or mortality in children, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals, Tedersoo warned.