Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in people living and working in pig farms

I.V.F. Van Den Broek, B.A.G.L. van Cleef, A. Haenen, E.M. Broens, P.P. de Wolf, M.M.P. van den Broek, X.W. Huijsdens, J.A.J.W. Kluijtmans, A.W. Van De Giessen, E.W. Tiemersma

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

We compared the prevalence of human and animal methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) at pig farms in The Netherlands, and related this to individual and farm-level characteristics. More than half of the farms investigated (28/50) had MRSA in pigs or stable dust and about one third (15/50) of person(s) were identified as MRSA carriers. Human carriage was found only on farms with M RSA-positive pigs or dust. MRSA strains in human samples were the same spa-type as found in pigs and all were not typable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (NT-MRSA). Multivariate analyses showed that risk factors for human MRSA carriage were: working in pig stables (OR 40, 95% CI 8-209) and the presence of sows and finishing pigs (OR 9, 95% CI 3-30). Veterinary sample collectors sampling the pigs showed transient MRSA carriage only during the day of the farm visit. Working in pig stables with MRSA-positive pigs poses a high risk for acquiring MRSA, increasingly so when contact with live pigs is more intensive or long lasting
Original languageUndefined/Unknown
Pages (from-to)700-708
JournalEpidemiology and Infection
Volume137
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2009

Cite this