Cross-sectional studycited by the Tayebat archiveabstract only checked A-CHK-15 standard review

Less resistance on farms that stopped antibiotics

Lower prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Enterococci on U.S. conventional poultry farms that transitioned to organic practices.

Overview

Sapkota AR et al.. Environ Health Perspect 2011 · PMID 21827979 · DOI 10.1289/ehp.1003350

Poultry houses that switched to organic had far fewer multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Does the study support the specific claim? Yes · Methodological quality: moderate

Study explained simply

What did the researchers want to find out?: Does transition to organic practices lower antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus on poultry farms?
How was the study done?: Field comparison of resistant Enterococcus in conventional vs newly organic poultry houses
How many people, animals or samples were studied?: 20 houses; 259 Enterococcus isolates; 10 conventional and 10 newly organic poultry houses
What was actually found?: MDR E. faecalis 42% conventional vs 10% organic (p=0.02); MDR E. faecium 84% vs 17% (p<0.001).
How large was the observed effect?: GLMM
What do the results mean in everyday life?: Reducing antibiotic use reduces resistance.
What are the study's limitations?: Small number of houses; Farm environment, not meat
What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?: Supports.
Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?: Moderate.
What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?: Cannot show human health effect.

Authors: Sapkota AR, Hulet RM, Zhang G, McDermott P, Kinney EL, Schwab KJ, Joseph SW
Journal: Environ Health Perspect
Year: 2011
Identifier: PMID 21827979 DOI 10.1289/ehp.1003350 · PMC3226496
Verification: verified – PubMed E-utilities efetch, 2026-10-25
Retracted: no
Corrections: none
Extent checked: abstract only
Conflicts of interest and funding: Authors declare no competing interests

Does transition to organic practices lower antibiotic-resistant Enterococcus on poultry farms?

Study design: Cross-sectional study – Field comparison of resistant Enterococcus in conventional vs newly organic poultry houses
Population: 10 conventional and 10 newly organic poultry houses
Country: USA
Period: 2008
Sample size: 20 houses (10 conventional + 10 newly organic); 259 Enterococcus isolates
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Litter, feed, water samples

Results: MDR E. faecalis 42% conventional vs 10% organic (p=0.02); MDR E. faecium 84% vs 17% (p<0.001).
Absolute risks: not applicable
Authors' conclusion: Removing antibiotics associated with lower resistant/MDR Enterococcus.

Large differences.

None.

Moderate.

Supports.

Multidimensional assessment
Multidimensional assessment
Authenticity of the source	verified
Methodological quality	moderate
Risk of bias	some concerns
Precision of results	low
Directness	indirect
Reproducibility	replicated
Consistency with the overall evidence	consistent
Regional transferability	moderate
Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)	not applicable

Human impact.

Note: according to the archive, the studies were compiled by the archive operators. Whether Dr. Elawady himself cited this study is not established.

What the archive says about the study: Listed in bibliography (no interpretation).
A. What was actually studied?: Resistance after organic transition.
B. What did the authors find?: Lower MDR in organic houses.
C. What conclusions do the authors themselves draw?: Removal of antibiotics associated with less resistance.
D. What does the archive derive from it?: Supports antibiotic-resistance narrative.
E. Is this derivation scientifically justified?: Justified; consistent with I-CHK-01.
Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive): not applicable