A potentially deadly poisonous bacteria discovered in chicken could be contributing to the alarming rise in cases of advanced colon cancer, new research suggests.
While red and processed meat have previously been linked to an increased risk of the disease, poultry has, until now, been considered a safer source of protein. But early studies show that a common strain of campylobacter bacteria may accelerate the progression of colon cancer through DNA damage.
Campylobacter is the most common source of food poisoning, often found in raw chicken. It usually causes diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting that resolves naturally within a week.
However, in severe cases, it can be deadly for vulnerable groups, such as young children, the elderly, and people with weak immunity.
Although the study failed to conclusively prove that the bacteria is responsible for the increase in cancer cases, the researchers warned that campylobacter could significantly increase the risk to the public.
At the same time, Italian scientists discovered last week that frequent consumption of chicken can double the risk of death from 11 different types of cancer, including colon and stomach cancer.
According to them, people who consumed over 300 grams of chicken per week (about four servings) had double the risk of dying from digestive system cancer compared to those who ate less than one serving per week.
Colon cancer, once considered a disease of old age, is now increasingly striking young people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, a phenomenon that has baffled doctors around the world.
In the new study, US researchers monitored more than 70 patients with the disease and compared levels of Campylobacter jejuni in their digestive systems. Over a three-year follow-up, they found higher levels of the bacteria in 34 patients whose cancer had spread to other parts of the body, compared to 37 patients whose cancer had not spread.
In the journal Cell Host & Microbiome, the authors write that the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), present in many strains of Campylobacter jejuni, may be responsible for accelerating cancer development through DNA damage.
Professor Christian Jobin, an expert on carcinogenic microorganisms at the University of Florida and co-author of the study, said:
"These findings confirmed that CDT is essential for the bacteria's role in promoting cancer spread. When CDT-producing bacteria migrate to tumors outside the intestine, they appear to accelerate their spread."
Tests conducted on mice with human colon cancer tissue also confirmed that CDT accelerates the spread of tumors.
However, additional studies in humans are needed to confirm this direct link.
The latest data from the United Kingdom shows that laboratory-confirmed cases of campylobacter have increased by 27 percent from 2022 to 2024.
Supermarkets in Britain are required to report the level of campylobacter in their chicken products to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) authorities every three months.
Chicken is considered contaminated when it has more than 1,000 bacterial units per gram (CFU/g), which increases the risk of food poisoning.
According to the FSA, the economic cost of campylobacter amounts to around £900 million a year, including costs for NHS treatments and days lost at work.
To avoid food poisoning, it is recommended:
Fully cooked chicken;
Separating meat from other foods;
Refrigerated storage;
Washing hands and utensils after touching raw meat;
It is forbidden to wash chicken, as it can spread bacteria throughout the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Italian scientists point out that chicken proteins, when exposed to high temperatures during cooking, can create chemicals harmful to human cells, causing changes that could lead to cancer.
They also raised doubts that factors such as chicken feed, the use of hormones or medications could affect health risks.
Other recent research has also suggested a link between other bacterial infections and colon cancer risk, including Helicobacter pylori, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and some strains of E. coli.
Another worrying study last week showed that E. coli, through the toxin colibactin, may be partly responsible for the increase in colon cancer cases in young people under the age of 50.
In this study, the DNA of 981 colon tumors from patients in 11 countries was analyzed, revealing traces of this toxin mainly in patients under 40 years old.
Another concern is the rise in infections with a rare strain of E. coli linked to contaminated salads, with an almost tenfold increase in England over the past seven years.
Experts point out that climate change, more careful reporting by hospitals, and the growth of vulnerable groups may be among the main factors behind this increase.
Also, the increased consumption of ready-made salads and sandwiches may have had an impact, as studies show that leafy greens are responsible for half of E. coli outbreaks. /Express newspaper/
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