MSRA Bacteria Found in Meat Samples In Detroit | DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog

Kim Kozlowski of the Detroit News reports, “For the first time in the United States, scientists have shown that the antibiotic-resistant bacteria MRSA is sometimes found in meat and poultry available at the neighborhood grocery store,” according to the US Centers for Disease Control. (CDC) in a recent study in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. The study included 289 meat samples from 30 grocery stores in Detroit, Michigan. They reported “six samples — three chicken, two beef, and one turkey — tested positive for MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.”

It is believed that the germs may be introduced by human food handlers. This is community acquired MSRA. The method of transmission, however,  is similar to how patients get infected with MSRA in hospitals when members of the health care team fail to wash their hands before they care for patients or touch their medicine or IV lines without taking proper precautions.  While cooking the meat may decrease the risk of infection significantly, the risk of infection is reported to be high for individuals who handle infected meat who have open cuts or sores on their hands or skin, according to the study’s author. The reason this is so dangerous is because this super bug has become resistant to most antibiotics so it can be extremely difficult to treat.