Letter to Vet Times 19-9-05
Data needed for DEFRA funded MRSA study
Dear Editor, We are conducting a study to identify risk factors associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in companion animals. This study is funded by DEFRA and conducted by the Royal Veterinary College in collaboration with IDEXX Laboratories, Wetherby, and St George's Hospital, London.
If one of your patients has been diagnosed with MRSA infection at our laboratories, we will contact you to ask for your participation in this study. This will involve taking a nasal swab from volunteering veterinary staff who have been in contact with the infected pet, and from the pet's owners.
Each participant will also be asked to fill in a short questionnaire about possible risk factors. All swab samples will be processed by IDEXX Laboratories with numbered codes to ensure confidentiality and participants will be informed about their results in person by RVC project staff.
MRSA isolates will be genetically analysed at St George's to provide evidence relatingto the likelihood of transfer of S. aureus between humans and animals. Should you agree to participate, we will send you information leaflets for veterinary staff and for pet owners, together with the questionnaires and swab material.
his study has been approved by the Bedfordshire Local Research Ethics Committee via the Central Allocation System of the Central Office for Research Ethics Committees (COREC).
For further information please telephone RVC project staff (Professor David Lloyd, Dr Anette Loeffler, Dr Ricardo Soares Magalhaes) on 01707 666234 or Michael Rich or Dr Larry Roberts, at IDEXX Laboratories, on 0 1937 544000.
Yours faithfully,
DIRK PFEIFFER, DAVID LLOYD, ANETTE LOEFFLER and RICARDO SOARES-MAGALHAES, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, North Mymms, Herts AL9 7TA.
MICK RICH and LARRY ROBERTS, IDEXX Laboratories, Sandbeck Way, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS22 7DN.
JODI LINDSAY, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, St George's Hospital, Cranmer Terrace, London SW 17 ORE.