US concern over MRSA in Pigs

Link: US Calls for More MRSA Surveillance in view of Canadian findings.

News that Canadian researchers had found MRSA on pig farms in Ontario has prompted calls for the US government to insist that federal regulators introduce a more intensive surveillance system. Campaigners want to see measures in place to track the incidence of the deadly bacteria in premises other than healthcare facilities. The super bug is prevalent in the environment and farms are a prime site. The Netherlands confirmed that it had isolated an MRSA strain on a pig unit earlier this year and there are substantiated reports of the infection occuring in similar situations in the Far East and Asia. In the pig industry, the close proximity in which stockpeople work with their animals appears to be a critical factor. The risk of transmission from animals to people, or because of the production practices used and/or the work environment, may be exacerbated.