U.S. researchers have found MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in meats sold at U.S.
supermarkets, according to a study published on Wednesday.
This is "community-acquired MRSA" that is transmitted by humans carrying the bacteria, researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit
reported in the study appearing in the May 11 online edition of the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's ( CDC's) journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
For the study, the researchers purchased 289 raw meat samples, including 156 beef, 76 chicken and 57 turkey samples, from 30 grocery stores in
Detroit from August 2009 through January 2010.
The researchers found that 22.5 percent of the samples were contaminated with S. aureus and six samples tested positive for MRSA.
Of the six samples contaminated with MRSA, two were beef, three were chicken and one was turkey, the researchers said.
The extent of MRSA contamination in meat varies by the type of meat and where the meat was processed, said lead researcher Yifan Zhang, an
assistant professor in the department of nutrition and food science at the university.
The germ is apparently being introduced by humans handling the meat, she said.
According to another recent study, the strain of MRSA in meat in the United States is not the strain found in animals, Zhang noted.
"MRSA has always been found in human patients, but we found this in retail meat, so retail meat can be a reservoir of these bugs," said Zhang.
"When people handle food, they can get the bugs from the meat if the meat is already contaminated," she explained.
The risk of becoming infected is especially high if you have open cuts or sores on your hands or skin, Zhang added.
MRSA is common in hospitals and nursing homes, where it can cause serious illness and even death.
But recently "community-acquired MRSA" has become a problem among some high school and college athletes who share equipment.
This type of MRSA appears as a skin infection and is usually less serious,according to CDC.
MRSA is killed when the meat is cooked thoroughly, experts say.
Other precaution measures include:
-- Wear gloves when handling meat, especially when there are wounds on the hands;
-- Washing plates or utensils used to prepare food before using them again to eat; and * Disinfect counters that have come into contact with meats.