Lantibiotics Could Combat Deadly Bugs
University of Minnesota researchers have discovered and patented a naturally occurring lantibiotic that could be added to food to kill harmful bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria.
Lantibiotics are peptides produced by harmless bacteria. The U of M lantibiotic is the first natural preservative found to kill the harmful kind of bacteria that can cause a range of foodborne illnesses and complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) or thrombotic thromboctyopenic purpura (TPP) conditions that routinely result in kidney failure but can also cause stroke, seizure, paralysis, heart problems and serious anemia. Children under five are most at risk.
As a food additive, the lantibiotic could be used to prevent harmful bacteria in meats, processed cheeses, egg and dairy products, canned foods, seafood, salad dressing, fermented beverages and many other foods, researchers said. In addition to food safety benefits, lantibiotics are easy to digest, nontoxic, do not induce allergies and are difficult for dangerous bacteria to develop resistance against.
Every year, one of every six Americans -about 48 million people- becomes sick from a foodborne illness. Of those, 28,000 are hospitalized and about 3000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In recent years, Salmonella outbreaks have increased more dramatically than any other foodborne illness, according to Shaun Kennedy, director of the National Center for Food Protection and Defense. Salmonella contributes to an estimated 28 percent of the 3,000 deaths related to foodborne illness each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Salmonella contamination spawned one of the largest meat recalls in U.S. history earlier this month when Cargill recalled 36 million pounds of ground turkey. The potentially contaminated meat from Cargill's turkey plant in Springdale, Arkansas, has been linked by the USDA to an outbreak of Salmonella Heidelberg that killed a woman in California and sickened at least 110 others in 31 states. This strain has been discovered to be resistant to multiple drugs, which may increase the risk of hospitalization or complicate treatment of infected individuals.
Most people infected with Salmonella bacteria develop diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after infection. The illness usually lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without treatment. In some cases, the diarrhea may be so severe that the patient needs to be hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. Older adults, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness from Salmonella infection, including Reiter's syndrome.
While state, local and federal authorities investigate the Cargill Salmonella outbreak, the The U of M’s Office for Technology Commercialization is searching for a licensee for the lantibiotic technology that could prevent such outbreaks in the future.
