Sludge Watch ==> FDA OKs bacteria-eating virus to treat meat

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

This looks like a terrible idea.  Won't we just end up with bacteria that are immune to these bacteriophages and viruses?

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FDA OKs bacteria-eating virus to treat meat

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14410160/

The FDA has approved a concoction made of several bacteria-killing viruses that is intended to be sprayed on meat before it is packaged. The virus-spray is hoped to kill the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes in packaged meats and curb the hundreds of deaths caused by listeriosis every year. 

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FDA OKs bacteria-eating virus to treat meat
Preparation targets microbes that kill hundreds of people a year


 
Updated: 11:16 a.m. PT Aug 18, 2006
WASHINGTON - A mixture of six bacteria-killing viruses can be safely sprayed on meat and poultry to combat common microbes that kill hundreds of people a year, federal health officials said Friday.

The mixture of special viruses, called bacteriophages, would target strains of Listeria monocytogenes, the Food and Drug Administration said in declaring it is safe to use. The viruses are designed to be sprayed on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products just before they are packaged.

The bacterium they target can cause a serious infection called listeriosis, primarily in pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. In the United States, an estimated 2,500 persons become seriously ill with listeriosis each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those, 500 die.
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