Industrial Chicken Farms Boost Gastroenteritis Bacteria Spread

Industrial chicken farms have significantly increased the spread of Campylobacter, the most common bacteria causing gastroenteritis worldwide, by more than 100 times, according to a new study by the University of Oxford. The study, led by the Ineos Oxford Institute for Antimicrobial Research, found that the global chicken population has surged to roughly 31 billion birds, creating ideal conditions for the bacteria to spread and adapt, potentially developing antibiotic resistance. Poultry farms are identified as the primary reservoir for transmission to humans.