Study finds antimicrobial resistant E coli in retail chicken in Kerala

Kochi: Retail chicken, which is one of the most popular buys for all sections of meat lovers, should be cleaned and cooked very well at high temperatures before consumption. According to a study by researchers at Kerala Veterinary University, there was a strong presence of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) Escherichia coli (E coli) in chicken samples collected in six districts in state.The samples revealed a 54.17% prevalence of E coli, with 8% of isolates carrying virulence genes for typical enteropathogenic E coli (EPEC) in retail chickens. This study investigated the prevalence, virulence and AMR of E coli in retail chicken meat samples.
The cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting 600 retail chicken samples from Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kollam and Pathanamthitta from 2019 to 2023. Each retail chicken sample weighed 250g and consisted of portions of the neck, breast and thigh. "The situation is the same or maybe even worse because of the changing ways of cooking it. When it is cooked at high heat, some of the inside meat does not cook enough to kill the microbes. Hence, it is safer to eat when it is fully cooked at high temperatures and using the various spices that are part of our cuisine," said Binsy Mathew, assistant professor, College of Veterinary Sciences, Mannuthy. She said multidrug resistance was detected in 49.28% of isolates. "Even while cleaning it at home before cooking, people should take care to ensure that the fluid from the chicken does not spill onto the other vessels, which could lead to the spread of these microbes into other foods," Mathew said. Kerala is one of the leading meat-consuming states in India, with approximately 70% of the population relishing non-vegetarian meals, particularly during festivals. Chicken is a popular choice because of its versatility and the fact that it is less likely to be associated with religious and cultural taboos. The study says that consumers often prefer to purchase chicken from wet markets, where the live birds are slaughtered in their presence, providing a false sense of security about the meat's safety compared to frozen meat from the organised sector. However, the slaughter and handling practices in retail shops can vary in terms of sanitary practices, leading to an increased risk of cross-contamination and a higher load of gut-colonising bacteria in raw chicken. Hence, chicken was commonly incriminated as the source of many foodborne pathogens, especially Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and E coli, it said. The study calls for an urgent need for robust surveillance systems, improved sanitary practices in retail poultry outlets and stringent regulations on antibiotic use in poultry rearing to curb the spread of resistant pathogens through the food chain.