A growing body of evidence indicates the presence of antibiotic resistant ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in retail meat and food animals worldwide. During 2011 and 2012, cutting boards used in the kitchen of Basel University Hospital, Switzerland were examined after handling raw poultry and before being cleaned. Cutting boards from private households in Switzerland, France, and Germany were also tested. Of the cutting boards from the hospital kitchen, 15.6% (10/64) were positive for ESBL-producing E. coli, and 50% of gloves used during poultry handling were also contaminated. In addition 8.3 % of cutting boards from private households were contaminated. The results reflect reports of detection of CTX-M-1 ESBLs in up to 78% of chicken meat. The fact that none of the cutting boards used for preparation of other raw meats in this study tested positive, mirrored by the absence of ESBL-producing strains in minced meat derived from pork and cattle. The results indicate the importance of strict hygiene measures during handling and preparation of raw poultry in the kitchen. The risks are highlighted by a recent report of a food-borne nosocomial outbreak due to ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae, up to 35% of the screened hospital kitchen surfaces or foodstuffs were found to be contaminated, and in addition, 14% of food handlers were revealed as rectal carriers. The report can be found at Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2014;35(5):581-584
