Human Streptococcus Suis Case Linked to Pigs

There is not much doubt about the source of this case.

Xinhua report in full here

Macao confirms first case of human infection with streptococcus suis this year

MACAO, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Macao has confirmed one case of human infection with streptococcus suis, the first such case found in Macao so far this year...

... a 54-year-old Macao man, who has been operating a roasted meat shop and often handles pig materials, developed fever from last Monday (June 25), and was admitted into a local hospital.... 

...Streptococcus suis is a peanut-shaped, Gram-positive bacterium, and an important pathogen of pigs. It is also a zoonotic disease, capable of transmission to humans from pigs...

... Macao recorded one streptococcus infection in 2011, three in 2010 with one related death.

Antibiotics in British Livestock: Questions in Parliament

This week in parliament. 

Reasonable questions about antibiotic resistance in British livestock asked in the House of Commons on Thursday and very unsatisfactory answers given. 

We can all see the questions. We don’t see much in the way of answers.

Zac Goldsmith MP asks for details of tests, results and assessments of antibiotic resistant strains of salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli and Enterococci in  poultry, pigs and cattle since 2000.

The answers from Defra's Minister, Mr Paice, hardly illuminate, mostly because little recent information is available for the UK, despite the obvious risks to public health. Research is almost non-existent.

Britain's government veterinarians do not find what they deliberately do not look for. 

The full questions and the answers are available on the House of Commons website here

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm120621/text/120621w0002.htm

Antibiotic use in Dutch pigs falls again in 2011

The Dutch continue to reduce antibiotic use in livestock.

In Britain, after many years of knowing there was a problem, we still do not have any figures specific to pigs.

More detailed species specific information on Dutch usage available from site:

http://www.maran.wur.nl/UK/

…Trends in total sales
In the period 2009-2011 the total sales of antibiotics, licensed for therapeutic use in animals in the Netherlands, decreased by nearly 32%, from 495 tonnes in 2009 to 338 tonnes in 2011 (FIDIN, 2012). This means that the policy objective for 2011, a 20% reduction in 2011 compared with 2009, was more than reached. As compared with 2007, the year with the highest sales, the decrease until 2011 was 40%.

Trends in use per species
In 2011, all animal production sectors in the Netherlands showed a decrease in antibiotic use:

·         sow/piglet farms: annual variation, decrease in 2010 and 2011;

·         fattening pig farms: increase until 2008, decrease from 2009 to 2011;

·         broiler farms: increase until 2009, decrease in 2010 and 2011;

·         veal calf farms: decrease from 2007 to 2011;

·         dairy farms: annual variation, decrease in 2011…

Porcine Circovirus PCV2 - the facts

A useful summary of porcine circovirus and its ramifications, with more to come.

Britain was never told that the disease hit Britain's pigs in 1999, its significance to the disastrous Classical Swine Fever (CSF) and, Foot and Mouth (FMD) epidemics the following year, or the significance now to antibiotic resistance arising from antibiotic use to deal with co-infections and, of course, the subsequent spread to and by humans.

Britain did not know that the pigs catching and culled for CSF and FMD were already sick with circovirus.

It seems to have been some kind of state secret, silence enforced by the British veterinary civil service, who were also attempting to intimidate a witness to Parliament.

As so often in history, events in Britain, unknown to the British public, are unravelling abroad.

Abstract here

Vet Pathol. 2012 Jun 12. [Epub ahead of print]

Current State of Knowledge on Porcine Circovirus Type 2-Associated Lesions.

Opriessnig T, Langohr I.

Source

College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Abstract

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), a small single-stranded DNA virus, was initially discovered in 1998 and is highly prevalent in the domestic pig population. Disease manifestations associated with PCV2 include postweaning multisystemic wasting disease (PMWS), enteric disease, respiratory disease, porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS), and reproductive failure. Although these clinical manifestations involve different organ systems, there is considerable overlap in clinical expression of disease and presence of lesions between pigs and within herds. It is now widely accepted that PCV2 can be further subdivided into different types, of which PCV2a and PCV2b are present worldwide and of greatest importance. This review will focus on PCV2-associated lesions in different organ systems.

PMID:

22692624

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

MRSA spreading by air from pig farms

We get further confirmation today of the spread of so-called LA-MRSA or "pig" MRSA, usually MRSA st398 or cc398, by air from pig farms.

Full abstract and report available here

June 2012

LA-MRSA contamination of air and soil surfaces in the vicinity of pig barns: A longitudinal study

1. ¹Institute for Animal Hygiene, Animal Welfare and Farm Animal Behaviour, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 17p, 30559 Hannover, Germany
2. ²Institute for Animal Hygiene and Environmental Health, Free University Berlin, Philippstrasse 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
3. ³Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt Ostwestfalen-Lippe, Westerfeldstraße 1, 32758 Detmold, Germany
4. ⁴Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Diedersdorfer Weg 1, 12277 Berlin, Germany

ABSTRACT

During one year, samples were taken on four days, one in each season, from pigs, the floor, and the air inside of pig barns and from the ambient air and soil at different distances outside of six commercial LA-MRSA positive pig barns in the north of Germany... 

... Spa typing was used to confirm identity of LA-MRSA types found inside and outside the barns. The results show that there is regular airborne LA-MRSA transmission and deposition up to at least 300 m around positive pig barns which is strongly influenced by wind direction and season. The described boot sampling method seems suitable to characterise the contamination of the vicinity of LA-MRSA positive pig barns by the airborne route.

Foot and Mouth - taking the biscuit.

We have now seen every conceivable explanation for Britain's 2001 foot and mouth epidemic, except anything actually likely.

Seagulls, foxes, immigrants, imaginary illegally imported infected meat: the list was very creative and endless.

Anything, however implausible, was promoted by Britain's corrupt veterinarians, providing it was not live  infected animals, legally imported, and allowed into Britain under state veterinary control.

Maff-Defra's, Britain's agricultural ministry's looney but dangerous PR department, their veterinary groupies and cronies created some real gems, but this must take the biscuit - a rich tea biscuit naturally.

Tea, anyone?

Tea can still cause endless trouble and amusement across the Atlantic.

Current North American source here

"...In 2005, Wales residents were ordered to toss, not compost them, (tea bags) over fears they might have come into contact with meat, and thereby spread foot and mouth disease..."

Human C.Difficile (C.Diff. CDI) linked to pigs

This is Guelph University linking C.Diff to pigs, something long known, although any mention of pigs, even when pigs were known to be present and infected at the site of human outbreaks, has always been suppressed or played down in the UK.

The presentation draws comparisons between C. Diff (CDI) and MRSA st398 and the human impact with death rates for Ontario hospitals.

Although some of the points made may not be applicable in Britain, this adds fuel to a continuing scandal that is going to hit the UK hard and bring its corrupt vetocracy before the Courts.

We do not have an exact date for the presentation although it appeared on our horizon yesterday.  It is certainly this year and probably published very recently.

Anyway, we give the url and some quotes. The whole is well worth reading, as extracts from slide presentations with artwork are hard to faithfully reproduce here.

http://www.uoguelph.ca/foodsafetynetwork/sites/uoguelph.ca.foodsafetynetwork/files/OFSRF2012P06Warriner.pdf

"Prevalence of Clostridium difficile & Methicillin Resistance
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Infecting Bacteriophages in 
Pork Processing"


Multi-Drug Resistance
Increasing problem with treating infections
Increase susceptibility to secondary infections
Traditional Hospital Acquired Infections
Clostridium difficile
MRSA
Community Associated Infections increasing


MRSA Associated with Pigs
 Prevalence: 25 – 40% (ST398)
Proven zoonotic link: Pig farmers 760 times more likely 
to contract MRSA
 1 – 11% carriage on pork at retail


Incidence of CDI appears to be increasing in the US


Conclusions
 MRSA and C difficile prevalent in pig during production 
phase. Low carriage at market weight.
C difficile present in holding area of processing lines
Little evidence of cross-contamination during 
processing
Dissemination in the environment via manure
Animal production only one source of C difficile
High exposure of population to toxigenic C difficile

No MRSA in British pigs?

The Veterinary Record, Journal of the British Veterinary Association celebrated Diamond Jubilee day, by covering their front page of yesterday's edition with a photograph of cuddly piglets overlaid with the following legend:

"Investigating the spread of MRSA cc398 between pig farms"

You can see the front cover here

Pig World, here, the same day,  celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Coronation, with the following:


"No MRSA in British pigs

MRSA is not present in the British pig herd. But on the basis that it is prevalent in Dutch pigs, Compassion in World Farming and others think more British pigs should be reared in "well-designed free-range systems and fewer to be kept indoors on concrete without straw".

The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics, which includes Compassion in World Farming and the Soil Association, cite research that shows fewer organic pig herds in the Netherlands are infected with MRSA than conventional pig farms."

So Britain's veterinarians use their front cover to report on a problem Britain does not have according to Britain's pig farmers reporting Britain's government vets?

The Queen is not the only one celebrating today.

The disgraceful behaviour of Britain's government vets over many years, protected by Crown Immunity, is slowly emerging into the public domain in the inevitable scandal.

It has taken a long hard fight, but ultimately there are some things you cannot cover up in a mature democracy.

We now await the Royal Commission of Enquiry with evidence under oath.

God save the Queen!