[...it's a cow thing...---chris]
New strain of MRSA superbug may have spread from cattle to humans
Article HERE:
--New strain of MRSA superbug may have spread from cattle to humans
--Newly discovered MRSA strain found in cattle on 3% of dairy farms in the UK and caused 12 infections in people last year
The new MRSA strain is probably spread through contact with infected cattle or people who work with the animals. Scientists in the UK have discovered a new strain of MRSA that appears to spread to humans from cattle and can cause life-threatening illness.
The drug-resistant strain was identified in cows' milk during a study of the udder infection mastitis in dairy herds. It is the first time any form of the MRSA – or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – has been found on British farms.
The new strain of the "superbug" has caused a small number of serious blood infections and more minor conditions in people, but health officials have downplayed the risk to the general population because standard tests in UK hospitals should detect the organism.
It is not known how the patients became infected with the new strain, but a likely route would be through contact with infected cattle or people who work with the animals.
Dr Mark Holmes, a veterinary scientist who led the study at the University of Cambridge, said milk from infected cows was safe to drink because the bug, along with other bacteria, was killed by pasteurisation. More than 99% of milk consumed in the UK is pasteurised. The bug was unlikely to survive in unpasteurised cheese, Holmes added.
But the presence of MRSA in the national herd will put farm workers at risk of becoming carriers of the infection and spreading it to the wider community. Early tests suggest the strain has spread to nearly 3% of dairy farms in the UK. A more extensive survey of British farms will begin this summer.
Roughly a third of the human population already carries S. aureus in their noses or on their skin, with around 1% of this being the drug-resistant form MRSA. The bug does not usually cause problems unless it infects broken skin.
The discovery of the new strain has led to calls for a rethink of how antibiotics are used on farms. The drugs are given to treat mastitis and other infections in cattle, but overuse encourages resistant bacterial strains to emerge. SNIP
New strain of MRSA superbug may have spread from cattle to humans
Article HERE:
--New strain of MRSA superbug may have spread from cattle to humans
--Newly discovered MRSA strain found in cattle on 3% of dairy farms in the UK and caused 12 infections in people last year
The new MRSA strain is probably spread through contact with infected cattle or people who work with the animals. Scientists in the UK have discovered a new strain of MRSA that appears to spread to humans from cattle and can cause life-threatening illness.
The drug-resistant strain was identified in cows' milk during a study of the udder infection mastitis in dairy herds. It is the first time any form of the MRSA – or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus – has been found on British farms.
The new strain of the "superbug" has caused a small number of serious blood infections and more minor conditions in people, but health officials have downplayed the risk to the general population because standard tests in UK hospitals should detect the organism.
It is not known how the patients became infected with the new strain, but a likely route would be through contact with infected cattle or people who work with the animals.
Dr Mark Holmes, a veterinary scientist who led the study at the University of Cambridge, said milk from infected cows was safe to drink because the bug, along with other bacteria, was killed by pasteurisation. More than 99% of milk consumed in the UK is pasteurised. The bug was unlikely to survive in unpasteurised cheese, Holmes added.
But the presence of MRSA in the national herd will put farm workers at risk of becoming carriers of the infection and spreading it to the wider community. Early tests suggest the strain has spread to nearly 3% of dairy farms in the UK. A more extensive survey of British farms will begin this summer.
Roughly a third of the human population already carries S. aureus in their noses or on their skin, with around 1% of this being the drug-resistant form MRSA. The bug does not usually cause problems unless it infects broken skin.
The discovery of the new strain has led to calls for a rethink of how antibiotics are used on farms. The drugs are given to treat mastitis and other infections in cattle, but overuse encourages resistant bacterial strains to emerge. SNIP
