MRSA strain picked up from animals - Scientists urge caution over antibiotic use in farming
Medical scientists present the “strongest evidence” yet that antibiotic use in farm animals has driven the emergence of a new strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in people. Writing this month in PLoS One they say the strain, known as ST398, is a potential threat to public health. “The observation that MRSA carriage in humans is associated with MRSA prevalence among their calves is remarkable,” write Haitske Graveland and colleagues. “This might indicate that the prevalence in humans in close contact with animals follows the prevalence of MRSA among animals over time.” ST398 MRSA first appeared in four pigs and a farmer in France in 2004, and since then it has been spotted in people living in several countries worldwide. Although scientists know that farmers are at highest risk of contracting the bug, the factors that put farmers at risk have not been evaluated until now.
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