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Antibiotic resistant gene found by researchers

A new drug resistant gene has been found by Ohio State University researchers.

Researchers at OSU say it is the first discovery of transmissible carbapenem-resistant enterobactericeae or CRE in the U.S. in a swine farrow-to-finish operation. Dr. David Pyburn with the National Pork Board says the Ohio State research shows the bacteria is in NO way a threat to the U.S. food supply.

“They were only finding it in the farrowing barn. They were not finding it further down the stream. I guess they might have had a couple of findings in the nursery but absolutely could not find it in the finisher. So it’s NOT at the point where you have a market hog ready to go to slaughter so it should not be a threat at all to food safety,” says Pyburn.

The Ohio State study found CRE in a farrowing barn where the antibiotic ceftiofur was used to prevent disease in piglets. Dr. Pyburn tells Brownfield the FDA says this antibiotic should NEVER be used for general prevention of diseases and ONLY used under the direction of a veterinarian.

“We at the Pork Board would just like to remind folks that we just need to be consistent with FDA regulations as well as our pork quality assurance requirements. The antibiotic ceftiofur is really only to be used for the treatment or control of disease and then done with veterinarian oversight and direction,” says Pyburn.

The Center for Disease Control & Prevention says CRE can be a significant threat to public health because it can be transmitted to humans through meat consumption. But that is not the case with this discovery.

Ohio State says it is investigating how CRE was introduced to the farrowing barn.

Audio: Dr. David Pyburn. Vice President of Science and Technology, National Pork Board