2004-8-16
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture
Report.
Researchers say extra vitamin E fed to turkeys appears to help
control infections from listeria. People who eat foods that contain
this bacteria can get listeriosis.
This disease is especially dangerous to pregnant women, newborn
babies and people with weakened defenses. The United States has more
than two thousand cases of listeriosis each year. Five hundred
people die from it.
Some cases have been linked to poultry products that have not
been cooked enough. The researchers found that vitamin E improved
the ability of turkeys to fight the growth of listeria. The findings
could help other meat industries as well.
Irene Wesley led the study for the United States Department of
Agriculture. Researchers from Iowa State University and the
University of Arkansas also took part. The findings appeared in
Poultry Science magazine earlier this year.
Vitamin E is found in oils from vegetables, grains and animals.
It helps protect some kinds of fatty acids that are necessary for
healthy cells. Vitamin E helps prevent oxygen from combining with
these fats to cause damage to cells.
Turkeys need vitamin E for normal development. But the scientists
added extra amounts to the diet of two groups of turkeys. The birds
were one day old. Two other groups were not given any extra vitamin
E. After six weeks, the researchers infected all the young turkeys
with listeria. The scientists then tested the birds for the presence
of the bacteria over a period of time.
The results showed that the birds that received extra vitamin E
did not get infected as often as the others. The birds that received
the largest amount had the lowest number of infections.
The scientists say vitamin E has a similar effect on chickens.
They say chickens and turkeys that receive added vitamin E develop
more infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. The increased
number of these cells appears to also help protect against other
diseases that can be carried by birds.
Earlier tests at Iowa State showed that extra amounts of vitamin
E can improve the quality of meat as well, and keep it fresh longer.
The scientists continue tests. They want to see if vitamin E can
stop other dangerous bacteria that can enter food. They are testing
it against salmonella and campylobacter.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario
Ritter. This is Steve Ember.