Some very important research into antibiotic resistance moving from livestock to humans has just been published.
We will give the source and just the important part of the explanation.
The whole can be read in full here
Whole genome sequencing identifies zoonotic transmission of MRSA isolates with the novel mecA homologue mecC
25 MAR 2013The paper explained
PROBLEM:
The emergence of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) is a major public health concern.
Recently, MRSA strains with a novel mecA homologue (mecC), which may go undetected by current diagnostic tests, were described in both livestock and humans suggesting potential zoonotic transmission.
Denmark has reported a significant increase in cases of CC130 mecC-MRSA between 2003 and 2011 and two independent human cases of mecC-MRSA infection directly linked to a livestock reservoir have been
identified...
IMPACT:
Our findings demonstrate that the CC130 MRSA lineage is capable of transmission between animals and humans, further highlighting the role of livestock as a reservoir for MRSA.
Our study also underscores the potential of WGS in epidemiological investigations and source tracking
of bacterial infections.
