title: Health and health-related quality of life in pig farmers carrying livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
abstract: There is limited knowledge about the effect of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) carriage on health-related quality of life (QoL). With this study, we explored whether LA-MRSA causes infections or affects health-related QoL in pig farmers. This prospective cohort study surveyed persons working on 49 farrowing pig farms in The Netherlands for 1 year (2010-2011). On six sampling moments, nasal swabs, environmental samples and questionnaires on activities and infections were collected. At the end of the study year, persons were asked about their QoL using the validated SF-36 and EQ-5D questionnaires. Of 120 persons, 44 (37%) were persistent MRSA carriers. MRSA carriage was not associated with infections, use of antimicrobials, healthcare contact and health-related QoL items in univariate or multivariate analysis, most likely due to the 'healthy worker effect'. Despite high carriage rates, the impact of LA-MRSA carriage in this population of relatively healthy pig farmers on health and health-related QoL appears limited; more research is needed for confirmation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Microbiology and Infection Control,Amphia Hospital,Breda,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B A G L
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: VAN Cleef
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands,National Institute for Public Health and the Environment,Bilthoven,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B H B
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: VAN Benthem
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Microbiology and Infection Control,Amphia Hospital,Breda,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: E J M
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Verkade
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Microbiology and Infection Control,Amphia Hospital,Breda,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M M L
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: VAN Rijen
authors.affiliation: Amphia Academy Infectious Disease Foundation,Amphia Hospital,Breda,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M F Q
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Kluytmans-VAN DEN Bergh
authors.affiliation: Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences,Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Graveland
authors.affiliation: Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands,National Institute for Public Health and the Environment,Bilthoven,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology,Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: K M H W
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Verstappen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology,Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Wagenaar
authors.affiliation: Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences,Utrecht University,Utrecht,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heederik
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Microbiology and Infection Control,Amphia Hospital,Breda,The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J A J W
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kluytmans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D000067565:Farmers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009297:Nasal Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013552:Swine
keywords: Infectious disease epidemiology; methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA); public health; zoonoses