A Saskatoon professor found one of the most harmful types of bacteria on samples of squid in a supermarket during a study examining bacterial contamination of food in “niche markets.”
Joseph Rubin, professor of veterinary microbiology at the University of Saskatoon, said he made the discovery June 11. Rubin said the carbapenem-resistant bacterium found in the squid has never been found in food before.
“The real worry is that we’re potentially facing untreatable infections, which is hugely concerning,” said Rubin, who specializes in antibiotic resistance.
According to Rubin, carbapenems are the “last resort drug” used in cases where all other antibiotics have failed. Contracting a carbapenem-resistant bacterial infection may mean you are out of luck when it comes to treatment.
This finding means the population at risk for contracting these potentially deadly bacterial infections has now expanded from those that have travelled to areas where the bacteria are common, to anyone purchasing food containing these bacteria.
But bacteria with genes resistant to antimicrobials have been found in food before. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) currently has anti-microbial resistance programs in place that aim to “prevent, limit and control the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance genes in humans, animals and food,” according to the PHAC website.
According to Rubin, these programs only target the most common meats: poultry, pork, and beef. Rubin saw this as a window to study less common foods on the market, like squid.
The squid tested in Rubin’s lab was part of a larger study, including black sea cucumber and frog leg food products. The study is now looking at other niche market foods in the Saskatoon area.
Despite the potentially harmful nature of bacteria in food, Rubin emphasized that proper food preparation techniques are vital to preventing illness.
“The best thing consumers can do is use proper food hygiene techniques to prevent cross-contamination, and make sure food is cooked to a proper internal temperature to ensure the bacteria is killed,” said Rubin.
Rubin highlighted the importance of expanding Canada’s anti-microbial resistance detection programs, and targeting carbapenemase bacteria with large-scale federal programs.
He is hoping to expand his pilot study to a Canada-wide investigation, with the help of the Public Health Agency of Canada.
“At this point, we don’t have a lot of information, we need a lot more research to determine how common these organisms are.”
