Pigs, Farm Workers Carrying Potentially Fatal MRSA Bacteria

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is urging federal agencies to check for methacylin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in meat sold across the country. The highly infectious bacteria was recently found in farm workers and pigs in Iowa and Illinois by an assistant professor and her graduate students. In fact, they found that more than 70 percent of the pigs tested had MRSA, as did 45 percent of the farmers.

Professor Smith, of the University of Iowa and her students have apparently conducted the first ever testing of swine for MRSA in the US.

Professor Smith is now collaborating with teams in Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, and other, undisclosed areas, to determine if MRSA is present in the livestock in those states. They will be examining free-range, organic, antibiotic free, and conventional swine. Officials have warned that MRSA can also spread to beef, chicken and lamb. But so far, no one is checking these animals.

MRSA has been found in farm workers and livestock and Canada, Europe, and Scandinavia, because they test for it. Currently the US does not.

JUN-08-08: [MRSA: FOUND IN US SWINE]
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Published on Jun-9-08