Transporting Broilers Spreads Bacteria To Humans
Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found increased levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria on the surfaces of and in the air inside cars traveling behind trucks carrying broiler chickens.
Broiler chickens are typically transported in open crates on flatbed trucks. In this study, researchers collected both air and surface samples from cars driving 2-3 lengths behind trucks carrying broiler chickens for 17 miles. Researchers found increased levels of pathogenic bacteria on the surfaces of and in the air inside cars traveling behind these trucks.
The strains of bacteria found were resistant to 3 antimicrobial drugs used to treat bacterial infections in humans. The risk of transmission is thought to be higher during the summer months, when people have their car windows rolled down.