A potentially lethal food poisoning bug found in chicken could be driving a disturbing rise in late stage colon cancer cases, concerning research suggests.
While red and processed meat have been linked to an increased risk of the disease, poultry had, until now, been considered a less risky source of protein.
Yet, early studies have found a common strain of the bacteria campylobacter may speed up colon cancer progression by causing DNA damage.
Campylobacter is the most common source of food poisoning, often found on raw chicken. It typically causes diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting that gets better naturally within a week.
In severe cases, however, it can be life-threatening for vulnerable groups, including young children, the elderly and immunosuppressed.
While the study could not prove that the bug is directly responsible for rising rates of the disease, researchers said campylobacter jejuni may put the public at higher risk.
It comes as Italian scientists last week discovered that regularly eating chicken could double your risk of dying from 11 different types of cancer, including colon and stomach.
Those that consumed over 300g of poultry — equivalent to about four portions — per week, had double the risk of dying from a digestive cancer, compared to those who are less than one portion of poultry per week.
Supermarkets must report data on the prevalence of campylobacter among their poultry products every three months so the FSA can monitor food quality. They share the proportion of their raw roasting chickens which have more than 1,000 colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g) of campylobacter. At this level, chickens are considered highly contaminated and carry a risk of food poisoning. Retailers are supposed to ensure that no more than seven per cent of their chickens breach this levels
Colon cancer, long considered a disease of old age, is increasingly striking people in their 20s, 30s and 40s in a phenomenon that has baffled doctors around the world.
In the new study, US researchers tracked over 70 patients with the disease and compared campylobacter jejuni levels in their digestive system.
Over a follow-up of three years they found a higher number of campylobacter jejuni in the 34 patients whose cancer had spread to other parts of the body, compared to the 37 which had not.
Writing in the journal Cell Host & Microbiome, they said the toxin cytolethal distending toxin (CDT), often found in campylobacter jejuni strains, may be behind the cancer’s rapid acceleration because it causes DNA damage.
Professor Christian Jobin, an expert in cancer microorganisms at the University of Florida and study co-author, added: ‘These findings confirmed that CDT is essential for the bacteria’s role in promoting cancer spread.
‘When bacteria that produce CDT move to tumours outside the gut, it appears to accelerate the spread of these tumours.’
Tests on mice with human colon cancer tissue also found that CDT accelerated the spread of colon cancer tumours to other parts of the body, the researchers said.
But further human studies are needed to confirm this direct link.
Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your poo, a change in bowel habit, a lump inside your bowel which can cause an obstructions. Some people also suffer with weight loss a s a result of these symptoms
Latest UK data shows campylobacter laboratory confirmed cases have surged, with a 27 per cent rise logged between 2022 and 2024.
In the UK, supermarkets must report figures on the prevalence of campylobacter among their poultry products every three months so Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials can monitor food quality.
They share the proportion of their raw chickens which have more than 1,000 colony-forming units per gram (CFU/g) of campylobacter.
At this level, chickens are considered contaminated and carry a higher risk of food poisoning.
Apart from the misery and pain of the illness itself, the FSA estimates the bacteria costs the economy some £900million a year in terms of NHS treatment and lost days at work.
To avoid food poisoning, people should make sure they cook chicken thoroughly, separate meat from other foods, keep it in the fridge and wash their hands and utensils after touching raw meat, according to the FSA.
Chicken should also not be washed because it may splash bacteria elsewhere in the kitchen, it added.
It comes as Italian scientists last week suggested eating chicken multiple times a week could double your risk of dying from 11 different types of cancer including colon.
Rates of a rare strain of the bug E.coli — known as non-0157 shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) — have risen almost 10-fold in England in just seven years
In the study, Italian scientists analysed diet and health information of nearly 5,000 people, mostly in their 50s, over almost two decades.
They suggested chicken proteins exposed to high temperatures during cooking may form chemicals that can harm human cells, triggering changes that could develop into cancer.
They found those that consumed over 300g of poultry — equivalent to about four portions — per week, had double the risk of dying from a digestive cancer, compared to those who are less than one portion of poultry per week.
It could also be the result of feed given to poultry, or hormones or medications animals may be exposed to during the rearing process, the experts added.
Other recent research has also suggested food poisoning bug helicobacter pylori may too raise the risk of colon cancer by altering the gut microbiome.
Other bacteria, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum and certain E. coli strains, have also been strongly linked to an increased risk of the disease.
Concerning research last week suggested E.coli may be to blame for a disturbing rise in colon cancer cases in under 50s.
US researchers analysed the DNA of 981 colon cancer tumours in patients aged either under 40 or over 70, across 11 countries.
They found traces of colibactin, a cancer-linked toxin produced by certain strains of E. Coli, lurking in tumors from patients under 40.
Figures released last week also show rates of a rare strain of the bug E.coli, found commonly in contaminated lettuce, have risen almost 10-fold in England in just seven years.
Experts told MailOnline climate change, more vigilant reporting by hospitals and a rise in the number of people vulnerable to severe illness, may be behind this explosion.
But it may also be the case that more shoppers are opting for prime sources of the bug, such as lettuce, either via ready made sandwiches or bagged salads.
Studies suggest leafy greens are responsible for half of all E.coli outbreaks.
