Estimates reveal effect of chicken production on humans

Research has revealed that approximately 280 people die every year in the UK as a result of antibiotic-resistant E. coli, acquired from chicken.

The study, carried out by an international team of scientists, looked at the effect of using third-generation cephalosporin – a class of antibiotics – in chicken production.

It is known that the method is causing a rise the number of E. coli cases that are resistant to antibiotics, which is called extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) E coli.

The team used Dutch genetic fingerprinting to find a reliable estimate of the number of human blood poisoning infections and deaths caused by ESBL E. coli that have come about as a result of consuming chicken.

They found that chicken production is, according to their analysis, responsible for 1,580 cases of ESBL E. coli blood poisoning every year in the UK.

Furthermore, it was revealed that each year poultry-associated ESBL E. coli causes an additional 12,500 days in UK hospitals for "last-resort" antibiotic treatment.

"This is the first detailed estimate to emerge of the human-health consequences from the use of antibiotics in European agriculture," said Richard Young, policy adviser at the Soil Association.

"It indicated that large numbers of people die of resistant infections due to the over-reliance on antibiotics in intensive livestock farming."

He added that there are also major additional costs to the NHS from treating patients – even when they survive an ESBL E. coli infection.