Awareness of the deteriorating pig health situation in the USA, and associated risks to human health is slowly seeping into the news and public consciousness in Britain.
The Pig Site this morning reports on the Iowa research linking proximity to intensive pig farms to increased risks of MRSA in humans.
We actually reported Maryn McKenna on the work of the Iowa team, including Tara C Smith and E.N. Perencevich and this research, six weeks ago. See here
and, of course, we have been expressing concern on the issue for many years after catching Britain's most senior government veterinarians faking on-farm tests during the CSF epidemic in 2000.
Whilst public health is the key issue, we wonder how long before the impact on house prices in pig dense areas is felt in Britain? A fine country house near a pig farm, might prove a poor investment.
Of course, Britain's corrupt agricultural ministry, once Maff now Defra, has constantly claimed that Britain, almost alone in the world, does not have MRSA in its pigs.
So presumably they will be willing to compensate anyone, if and when MRSA is found in British pigs?
Anyway, here is Britain's The Pig Site, and their report today. As always, read in full.
Living Near Pigs Increases Risk of Antibiotic-resistant Infection
13 March 2014
US - New research from Iowa suggests that the risk of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is significantly higher in people who live near to pig farms.
Living near to large numbers of pig farms is associated with increased risk of MRSA colonisation at the time of hospital admission in rural Iowa veterans, report Margaret Carrel of the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences at the University of Iowa and co-authors...
