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MRSA. Staphylococcus aureus methicillin resistant

Concepción Porrero
November 25th, 2009

European studies about Staphylococcus aureus methicillin resistant (MRSA) in animals

Staphylococcus aureus is usually found on the skin and mucosa of domestic animals and humans. This microorganism causes mild infections or even severe ones, in addition to food borne disease through toxins.

Staphylococcus aureus culture
Staphylococcus aureus culture.
Photo: Estefanía Rivero © VISAVET

Antibiotics are the treatment for S. aureus infections. Nevertheless, the bacteria are getting more resistant over time. Staphylococcus aureus resistant to methicillin (MRSA) is a public health concern given that they are resistant to all beta-lactam antibiotics, which are the selected treatments for these infections.

Hasman et al. (2009) have recently described that the bacteria is host specific since it is infrequent that strains from mammals colonize humans. However, several North-European countries detected MRSA infections related to swine farmers and their families. For this reason, S. aureus should be treated as an occupational disease.

Due to the job-related clinical cases described, the European Commission promoted a new prevalence study of MRSA in swine for all the Member States in the European Union (Commission Decision 2008/55/EC). In this study, breeding and selection holdings of pigs were randomly selected within each country. In Spain, 1,805 samples from 361 holdings were taken and tested in authorized laboratories.

The results showed a high level of MRSA detection in Spain in breeding and production holdings. Although, to our knowledge, the cases detected at hospitals in Spain are not related to food consumption or to close contact with animals. Establishing survey programs for food producing animals, food and humans will be necessary to better understand a potential cross-over between animals and humans and food contamination.


Concepción Porrero

VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre
Complutense University





Article data

Title:
MRSA. Staphylococcus aureus methicillin resistant
Author:
Concepción Porrero
Online publication date:
November 25th, 2009
Keythems:
Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Methicillin

Author data
Concepción Porrero
VISAVET. Health Surveillance Centre
Complutense University
Madrid (Spain)
Concepción Porrero BiographyDatos de contactoI+D+i data
More informatión

1 Analysis of the baseline survey on the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in holdings with breeding pigs, in the EU, 2008 [1] - Part A: MRSA prevalence estimates

2 Assessment of the Public Health significance of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in animals and foods

3 Assessment of the Public Health significance of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in animals and foods (Opinion)

4 Joint scientific report of ECDC, EFSA and EMEA on meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in livestock, companion animals and food

5 Joint Opinion on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) focused on zoonotic infections

Press releases

Enterotoxinas y Staphylococcus aureus (Spanish)