This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English AgricultureReport.
Researchers say extra vitamin E fed to turkeys appears to helpcontrol infections from listeria. People who eat foods that containthis bacteria can get listeriosis.
This disease is especially dangerous to pregnant women, newbornbabies and people with weakened defenses. The United States has morethan two thousand cases of listeriosis each year. Five hundredpeople die from it.
Some cases have been linked to poultry products that have notbeen cooked enough. The researchers found that vitamin E improvedthe ability of turkeys to fight the growth of listeria. The findingscould help other meat industries as well.
Irene Wesley led the study for the United States Department ofAgriculture. Researchers from Iowa State University and theUniversity of Arkansas also took part. The findings appeared inPoultry 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 forhealthy cells. Vitamin E helps prevent oxygen from combining withthese fats to cause damage to cells.
Turkeys need vitamin E for normal development. But the scientistsadded extra amounts to the diet of two groups of turkeys. The birdswere one day old. Two other groups were not given any extra vitaminE. After six weeks, the researchers infected all the young turkeyswith listeria. The scientists then tested the birds for the presenceof the bacteria over a period of time.
The results showed that the birds that received extra vitamin Edid not get infected as often as the others. The birds that receivedthe 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 developmore infection-fighting cells called lymphocytes. The increasednumber of these cells appears to also help protect against otherdiseases that can be carried by birds.
Earlier tests at Iowa State showed that extra amounts of vitaminE can improve the quality of meat as well, and keep it fresh longer.
The scientists continue tests. They want to see if vitamin E canstop other dangerous bacteria that can enter food. They are testingit against salmonella and campylobacter.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by MarioRitter. This is Steve Ember.