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Cattle Farms Breed New Strains of 'Superbug'
by
findingDulcinea Staff
European researchers have tracked an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria to large, intensive livestock operations; modern farming techniques present a new human health hazard.
30-Second Summary
The Economist has reported that researchers are finding methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on large-scale farms in Europe, where hundreds of animals are clustered together.
One strain of the bacteria, called non-typable MRSA, is resistant to the types of antibiotics typically given to livestock. The NT-MRSA strain appeared in 2002, according to The Economist, and is now found in 20 percent of human infections.
Though S. aureus can live harmlessly on a person’s skin, if it gets into the bloodstream, it can be deadly, because it is resistant to many antibiotics.
The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that, in 2005, MRSA killed nearly 19,000 people in the United States.
Earlier this year, the bacteria, also called the “superbug,” was responsible for children’s deaths in New Hampshire, Mississippi and Virginia.
One strain of the bacteria, called non-typable MRSA, is resistant to the types of antibiotics typically given to livestock. The NT-MRSA strain appeared in 2002, according to The Economist, and is now found in 20 percent of human infections.
Though S. aureus can live harmlessly on a person’s skin, if it gets into the bloodstream, it can be deadly, because it is resistant to many antibiotics.
The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that, in 2005, MRSA killed nearly 19,000 people in the United States.
Earlier this year, the bacteria, also called the “superbug,” was responsible for children’s deaths in New Hampshire, Mississippi and Virginia.
Headline links: ‘Superbug’ appears on large farms, hospitalizations increase
The Economist details a new source of MRSA infections: livestock. Apparently, intensive farming techniques and the use of antibiotics in cattle have created a perfect incubator for new strains superbug.
Source: The Economist
Hospitalizations due to MRSA more than doubled to nearly 300,000 in 2005, according to a study co-written by a University of Florida researcher.
Source: University of Florida News
A British company is selling specially-lined pajamas designed to prevent a MRSA infection in hospitals.
Source: BBC News
Reference Material: MRSA information and a livestock study
The Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a page dedicated to MRSA, with articles on the community and healthcare settings, along with research information.
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Emerging Infectious Diseases, a medical journal from the CDC, has the study referenced in the Economist article (see Headline Links), called “Emergence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus of Animal Origin in Humans.”
Source: Centers for Disease Control
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