Swedish study looks at antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter on chicken

Antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter is more common on foreign chicken than domestic meat, according to an analysis in Sweden.

Research also found the majority of Campylobacter infections in patients infected abroad were resistant to antibiotic groups that are important in healthcare. However, no bacteria from meat or patients were resistant to a group called macrolides that are the first choice to treat severe infections. This group includes azithromycin and erythromycin.

Antimicrobials – including antibiotics – are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans and animals. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat.