Transmission of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus among pigs during transportation from farm to abattoir.
The prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in pigs at abattoirs is higher than in pigs sampled on farms. This study investigated whether MRSA negative pigs can become MRSA positive during transportation from the farm to the abattoir after exposure to other pigs and environmental sources of MRSA. Nasal swabs were collected from four batches of pigs during loading at the farm, on arrival at the abattoir and after stunning. Environmental wipes were taken from lorries after transporting pigs and from lairages after holding pigs. All pigs (n=117) tested MRSA negative before transportation. On arrival at the abattoir, 12/117 (10.3%) pigs in two batches tested MRSA positive. In lorries that tested positive after transportation, the prevalence of MRSA positive pigs was 21.1%, whereas no MRSA was detected in pigs that had been transported in lorries that tested negative after transportation. At stunning, all batches and 70/117 (59.8%) pigs tested MRSA positive. Pigs can become MRSA positive in the short period of time during transportation from the farm to stunning at the abattoir.
Broens
Els M
EM
Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology Group, Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. els.broens@wur.nl
Graat
Elisabeth A M
EA
Van der Wolf
Peter J
PJ
Van de Giessen
Arjen W
AW
De Jong
Mart C M
MC
D000003:Abattoirs; D000818:Animals; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D008297:Male; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*