CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Researchers and
scientists from Harvard and other world-renowned institutions studying the
causes of Campylobacter infections, a common form of foodborne illness,
concluded that foreign travel, unsafe water, consumption of food prepared
outside the home and undercooked or poorly prepared food are the leading risk
factors for Campylobacter infections in the United States.
This and other data were presented last month at a symposium focusing on
the use of fluoroquinolones in poultry, the effect on Campylobacter and the
potential human health consequences. The proceedings of the symposium, held
at the Massachusetts Academy of Arts and Sciences Center, are expected to be
published later this year in the "International Journal of Infectious
Diseases".
Foreign Travel
Among Americans, fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter infections are
largely acquired during foreign travel, according to Dr. L. Anthony Cox,
President of Denver-based risk analysis research and consulting company, Cox
Associates, and Clinical Professor of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics at
the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Cox, who has advised both industry and the FDA's Center for Veterinary
Medicine on risk assessment, states that the science clearly contradicts the
notion that veterinary use of fluoroquinolones in U.S. poultry flocks is
increasing the rate of resistant infections in humans. "There seems to be no
detectable causal or statistical connection between them." Cox, who recently
completed an in-depth risk analysis, building on data from the CDC-sponsored
research conducted by Friedman, et al(1), confirmed CDC's preliminary findings
that increased risk of Campylobacteriosis appears to be significantly
associated with food prepared outside the home and not with chicken cooked at
home.
"It appears unlikely that eliminating fluoroquinolone use in chickens
would have any detectable human health benefit in reducing the incidence of
resistant Campylobacter infections in humans," said Dr. Cox. "Nothing in the
Friedman data or the previously published data from various state and national
studies (2),(3) we examined suggests that the use of fluoroquinolones to treat
chickens consumed in the U.S. is a risk to public health."
Baytril(R) (enrofloxacin) 3.23% Concentrate Antimicrobial Solution is a
fluoroquinolone antibiotic manufactured by Bayer Corporation for use by
veterinarians to treat serious bacterial infections in poultry. Baytril is not
labeled for growth promotion or for disease prevention. Baytril is only used
under the supervision of a veterinarian and is currently used in less than
1 percent of chickens and only when serious disease threatens the health of
the flock. For additional information, see http://www.HealthyPoultry.com.
Bayer Animal Health, with headquarters in Shawnee Mission, Kan., is a
worldwide leader in parasite control and prescription pharmaceuticals for
dogs, cats, horses, cattle and poultry.
Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Bayer Corporation employs 21,500 people. It
is a member of the worldwide Bayer Group, a $27 billion international health
care and chemicals group based in Leverkusen, Germany. The Bayer Group stock
is a component of the DAX and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker
symbol: BAY).
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current
assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer Group management. Various known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material
differences between the actual future results, financial situation,
development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These
factors include those discussed in our public reports filed with the Frankfurt
Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including
our Form 20-F). The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these
forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or
developments.
(1) C. Friedman, S. Reddy, M. Samual, R. Marcus, J. Bender, S. Desai, B.
Shiferaw, D. Helfrick, M. Carter, B. Anderson, M. Hoekstra, and the EIP
Working Group. Risk Factors for Sporadic Campylobacter Infections in the
United States: A Case-Control Study on FoodNet Sites. 2nd International
Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases. Atlanta, Ga., July 2000.
(2) Paul Effler, et al. 2001. Sporadic Campylobacter jejuni Infections in
Hawaii: Associations with Prior Antibiotic Use and Commercially Prepared
Chicken. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 183:1152-5.
(3) Kirk E. Smith, et al. 1999. Quinolone-Resistant Campylobacter jejuni
Infections in Minnesota, 1992-1998. The New England Journal of Medicine.
Vol. 340: No. 20: 1525-1532.
Campylobacter Fact Sheet
Campylobacteriosis
-- Common symptoms are cramping, fever and diarrhea.
-- Most people recover completely within a week, although severe cases can
last up to 10 or more days.
-- Most cases are mild and do not require medical intervention.
-- Onset is two to five days after exposure.
-- Associations with infection include foreign travel; improper food
handling; consumption of undercooked meat, unsound water or
unpasturized milk; and contact with animals.
-- Estimated to affect 1 percent of the population annually.
-- Most commonly infected age groups are children under the age of 1 and
adults between the ages of 15 and 40.
Campylobacteriosis versus other foodborne illnesses:
-- Less serious health impact than E. coli or Salmonella infections.
-- Even though it is more common, it results in less hospitalization than
Salmonella infections.
-- Incidence of Campylobacter infection is decreasing, down 36 percent
from 1997 to 2000.
-- In 80 percent of cases, Campylobacter causes only mild diarrhea.
-- Campylobacter will go away without treatment, although appropriate
treatment may help relieve symptoms earlier.
-- Campylobacter rarely occurs in outbreaks, but in sporadic individual
infections.
Campylobacteriosis patient care
-- Most cases do not require medical care. Patients should rest and drink
plenty of fluids.
-- As with any severe diarrhea, oral rehydration and electrolyte repletion
may be indicated to prevent or reverse dehydration.
-- Antibiotic therapy may shorten the duration of symptoms but should only
be administered in severe cases after laboratory investigation
identifies the pathogen.
Campylobacter is difficult to spread and is not contagious
-- Difficult to spread through human-to-human contact.
-- Cooking food properly kills it.
-- Freezing food kills it or reduces it.
Campylobacter infection can come from many sources
-- Foreign travel.
-- Improper food handling in commercial establishments.
-- Eating undercooked beef, pork and poultry.
-- Drinking unsound water or unpasteurized milk.
-- Contact with pets and farm animals.
Campylobacter dangers
-- Individuals who are severely immunocompromised with conditions such as
advanced HIV or hypogammaglobulinemia are at greater risk for
infection.
-- Approximately 0.05 to 0.1 percent of patients recovering from
Campylobacter infections are at risk to develop Guillain-Barre
syndrome, an acute autoimmune polyradiculoneuropathy which leads to
temporary paralysis. Antibiotic treatment of Campylobacter infections
appears to have no impact on the incidence of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
-- Other complications following campylobacteriosis are rare.
Sources:
-- Centers for Disease Control "Campylobacter FAQ"
-- "Impact and Management of Campylobacter in Human Medicine - U.S.
Perspective" Mark Pasternak, M.D.
SOURCE Bayer Corporation
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http://www.HealthyPoultry.com
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CONTACT:
David B. Reeder of Bayer Corporation,
+1-412-777-5666
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