Germs passed from humans into animals
GROUND-BREAKING research at Edinburgh University has found that certain diseases are passing from humans to animals for the first time in 10,000 years.
The Roslin Institute carried out a study that showed it was possible for a strain of bacteria to cross from people to chickens.
Globalisation and industrialisation are said to be the likely reasons for the development and it is believed to be the first clear evidence of the transfer since animals were first domesticated ten millennia ago.
The study identified a form of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus in chickens, and found that the bacteria originally came from humans. It could be the most significant discovery in the field since it was discovered 40 years ago that species could share infections.
The find could also spell bad news for the poultry industry, with the revelation that humans can give diseases to chickens having an impact on food security.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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