Researchers studied 2,150 Salmonella Dublin<\/a> strains from cattle, humans, and the environment and found they were all genetically similar, making it easier for the bacteria to spread across species.<\/p>\n This bacterium typically causes severe illness or death<\/a> among cows, but it can also result in serious blood infections among people, especially those in close contact with farm animals. In severe cases,\u00a0Salmonella Dublin can kill people.<\/p>\n Making matters worse, the new study revealed that cattle strains have the highest levels of antibiotic resistance, particularly to drugs meant for treating infections, such as tetracycline and cephalosporins.<\/p>\n The increasing antibiotic resistance means that infections may become harder to treat, potentially leading to longer illnesses or more severe symptoms for people and animals.<\/p>\n If treatments become less effective, human infections could become more dangerous, especially for vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, or those with weak immune systems.<\/p>\n Study authors added that the US, being a major beef and dairy-producing country, is at an even greater risk of this superbug turning into a widespread health emergency.<\/p>\n Cattle are the main carriers of a superbug called\u00a0Salmonella Dublin, an antibiotic-resistant bacterium\u00a0(Stock Image)<\/p>\n Penn State researchers (pictured) found that the bacteria was present in cows, people, and in both food and farm surfaces<\/p>\n The researchers used data from two public sources: the National Center for Biotechnology Information Pathogen Isolate Browser and the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System.<\/p>\n These provided whole-genome sequences of Salmonella Dublin, which allowed the team to examine each strain’s genes in detail.<\/p>\n They compared 581 samples from cattle, 664 from humans, and 905 from the environment (food and farm areas) to identify patterns in how the bacteria’s genes cause severe disease and resist antibiotics.<\/p>\n The bacteria from cows, people, and the environment were incredibly similar, with 72 percent of the 2,150 strains differing by only a few DNA changes.<\/p>\n Although cow strains had the most genes that were resistant to medication, those found contaminating food and surfaces\u00a0had more DNA mutations linked to quinolone resistance, a drug used to treat humans.<\/p>\n However, the study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology<\/a> warned that each strain examined had similar genes that make them dangerous, like those helping them stick to cells or invade the body.<\/p>\n These genes were present in almost every strain in cows, people, or food, meaning the bacteria are consistently harmful no matter where it’s found.\u00a0<\/p>\n Study leader Erika Ganda, an associate professor of food animal microbiomes, said in a statement<\/a>: ‘That’s important, because it shows that Salmonella Dublin is highly connected across humans, animals and the environment \u2014 so efforts to control it need to consider all three.’\u00a0<\/p>\n Contaminated beef can make people sick with\u00a0Salmonella Dublin, leading to blood infections (Stock Image)<\/p>\n Direct contact on farms can also transmit the bacteria from cattle to people (Stock Image)<\/p>\n![\"Cattle](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/101476777-15026091-image-a-50_1755894836564.jpg\")
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