OHEJP-RaDAR-D-JRP3-3.6 Comparative Exposure Assessment of ESBL-Producing Escherichia coli Through Seafood Consumption
SUMMARY Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) producing Escherichia coli (EEC) are a significant public health concern. Although previous studies have calculated the exposure through meat consumption, the risk from seafood has not been quantified. A Quantitative Microbiological Risk Assessment (QMRA) model for meat was adapted to incorporate the complexities along the seafood chain. Total exposure of the Dutch population (EEC / year) was highest for raw salmon (48.1%) and smoked eel (43.9%). The top five seafood products (raw salmon, smoked eel, caviar / cod roe, smoked salmon and anchovies) all had a higher annual exposure estimate then any meat product. The high exposure by raw salmon is due partly to the current EU legislation which permits farmed salmon to be sold without prior freezing. With current antimicrobial usage remaining high in aquaculture industries, the results question whether the current legislation is adequate to mitigate against emerging microbiological hazards such as antimicrobial resistance.