MRSA in livestock animals-an epidemic waiting to happen?
Screening of pig farmers and pigs in The Netherlands has revealed that >20% of pig farmers and 39% of slaughterhouse pigs are positive for an unusual strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) belonging to sequence type (ST) 398. It is now clear that the emergence of ST398 is not just a Dutch problem, with human infections being described in several European countries, Canada and Singapore. Furthermore, some human isolates have now acquired the genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin. Livestock may become an important source of community-acquired MRSA. A concerted effort on the part of clinicians, infection control practitioners and veterinarians will be required to prevent further spread of this novel strain of MRSA.
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D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000382:microbiology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology