Denmark - MRSA st398 - Pressure increases

You can see how the Danes are combating the reluctance of their government and farming organisations to allow the publication of locations of MRSA st398 (cc 398)  infected farms.

The Danish information blackout is failing to protect anyone and arresting journalists did not work. It is surprising that they thought it would.

But even that is better than refusing to admit that you have had a problem for many years and claiming it is, therefore, unnecessary to protect your hospitals as Britain's corrupt government veterinarians do by failing to test.

When, finally, this scandal breaks, there is going to have to be a Royal Commission to investigate who is culpable in Britain's rotten veterinary establishment, and why they ignored warnings.

First, 'The Engineer' reminds us of the perils of living near Danish pig farms: http://ing.dk/artikel/svinefarme-i-nabolaget-mangedobler-risiko-smitte-med-resistente-bakterier-169372

"There are 13 times as likely to become infected with resistant MRSA bacteria if you live in a town with many pigs. According to a survey conducted by the Engineer.
By Helle Maigaard Erhardsen June 30, 2014 at. 05:03"

then they give us an interactive map of pig densities and human cases. Both published at the same time:

http://ing.dk/infografik/saa-mange-mrsa-tilfaelde-er-der-i-de-danske-kommuner-169272

"So many MRSA cases in the Danish municipalities.

Click the municipalities on the map to see how many Danes were infected with the antibiotic-resistant swine MRSA CC398 in 2012/13 and the number of pigs in which the municipality is home.
By Martin Kirchgässner June 30, 2014 at. 05:03"

Norway tells us about MRSA st398 in pigs

We quote a new updated page on MRSA st398 from what is effectively Norway's government veterinary service.

MRSA st398 is also called MRSA cc398, and sometimes pig MRSA or LA-MRSA depending on country and context.

Norway has been showing signs of irritation, with other European countries and their sick pigs, for quite some time.

We should remember that Norway is not a member of the EU, and they often follow their own path.

The continuing efforts in Britain to publicly claim that Britain does not have MRSA st398 in her pigs, based on Defra, the government ministry, avoiding testing, may even have sparked the updated page, yesterday.

Norway is very well informed, seems enlightened and acts whilst others cover up. You can almost see the finger being firmly pointed.

The issue is now so important, we give the page in full. It is a mechanical translation.

The untranslated version is here.

Facts: LA-MRSA (methicillin-resistant livestock Associated Staphylococcus aureus in pigs)

06/27/2014 11:10

MRSA is Staphylococcus aureus ("Staphylococcus aureus") that are resistant to important antibiotics. A special animal adapted variant of the bacterium, LA-MRSA, have in many countries become established in production animals, especially pigs, without causing significant health problems for the animals. The bacterium can be transmitted from pigs and other livestock to humans. In people who already have compromised health can LA-MRSA can cause serious infections, so it is especially important to prevent bacteria from entering the Norwegian health institutions. There is little danger that LA-MRSA be transmitted to people through food.

Infectious and transmission routes
MRSA are variants of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus have developed resistance to several important antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals. A special variant of MRSA belonging to the clonal complex CC398, also called LA-MRSA, has in recent years been detected in livestock, particularly pigs in a number of countries worldwide.

LA-MRSA is spread among pigs by direct contact. The bacterium has a great ability to remain in the environment (dust and feces) and can be spread between herds also through vehicles, people or equipment contaminated. The bacteria can be transmitted to humans who have direct and repeated contact with pigs. If the carriers of the bacteria working in health care or admitted to health facilities, will be implemented to control the appearance and prevent further spread. The probability that LA-MRSA should infection via food to humans is considered very small.

LA-MRSA can occur in both production animals (poultry, cattle and sheep) and in family animals (dog, cat and horse), but the pig is considered the most important reservoir of infection for humans.

Occurrence
In many countries, the LA-MRSA is very common in pigs. In 2008 in all EU countries and Switzerland and Norway conducted a "baseline" study to investigate the prevalence of MRSA in swine herds. LA-MRSA was detected in pigs in 17 of 24 countries. None of the surveyed farms in Norway were positive, but the average proportion of LA-MRSA positive farms across the EU was 26.9% and in Spain, Germany and Belgium were 35 to 50% of swine herds positive. There are strong indications that the proportion of LA-MRSA positive herds have increased substantially in several countries after 2008. LA-MRSA has been detected also in poultry, cattle and sheep in some of these countries.

Under the auspices of NORM-VET (Norwegian monitoring program for antimicrobial resistance in microbes from feed, animals and food) was LA-MRSA detected in samples from the Norwegian pigs first time in 2011. survey was anonymous, and samples were taken of pigs that had been stabled on slaughterhouse. All the positive samples were taken at the same slaughterhouse, and some of the pigs may have been infected during their stay at the slaughterhouse barn.

NORM-VET conducted in 2012 a new anonymous survey of pig sampling out in herds where LA-MRSA was detected in one of 175 examined herds.
The National Veterinary Institute in 2013 and 2014 demonstrated LA-MRSA in samples from pigs in several farms in the eastern and western Norway. There is no known connection between the positive herds in the two regions, but within each region have been possible infection contact between the positive herds through livestock trade and passenger traffic.

In 2014 under the auspices of the Food Safety Authority conducted a comprehensive survey of LA-MRSA in all swine herds with more than 10 sows. Crews sample taken in connection with the outbreak fungal clearance was, however, not sampled again. Veterinary Institute examined samples from 983 herds in this survey, and proven LA-MRSA in samples from only one herd.

Overall, these studies indicate that the incidence of LA-MRSA is still very low in Norwegian pig herds. One assumes that the infection is detected in Norwegian pigs have come into herds by humans.

Symptoms
LA-MRSA is not particularly pathogenic in pigs. Most infected pigs are healthy carriers, but the bacteria have been isolated from pigs with infections eg in the skin and joints.

Diagnostics
In infected herds LA-MRSA in pigs' mucous membranes, especially the nasal mucosa and skin. The bacteria isolated frequently from dust in the pigs' environment. Upon examination of MRSA samples are taken from the nasal mucosa, or from the skin behind the ears.It may also be dust samples from the environment in which the pigs are located. Analysis takes place by culture and susceptibility testing, and by detecting the gene encoding meticillinresistens in suspected bacterial isolates.
Prevention and control

Findings of LA-MRSA in pigs reported to the FSA who take steps to combat the infection in the herd and prevent spread to new farms. FSA warns on to Public Health so that they can offer testing people who have been in contact with infected pigs. It is prepared information materials with advice on how to reduce the risk of spread of LA-MRSA between herds and between pigs and people.

LA-MRSA in humans
LA-MRSA is even more pathogenic in humans than other variants of Staphylococcus aureus, but by infection with LA-MRSA there is reduced opportunities for treatment with antibiotics. In people with compromised health may LA-MRSA can cause serious infections.To prevent bacteria from entering the Norwegian health institutions attach great importance to combat the incidence of LA-MRSA in livestock. For more information about the meaning of LA-MRSA Public Health at the NIPH .
What do Veterinærinstituttet?

Veterinary Institute is a national reference laboratory for antimicrobial resistance and examining samples from animals and fish for antibiotic resistant bacteria. In addition, plans, analyzes and reports on the Veterinary Institute of Monitoring of antibiotic resistant microbes (NORM-VET) and LA-MRSA, commissioned by the FSA.
Veterinary Institute provides advice and technical assessments and risk analysis with respect to LA-MRSA when appropriate.

Upon discovery of LA-MRSA in pigs in Norway, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute in cooperation with the FSA and industry conduct new studies aimed at mapping the distribution.

Read more at the National Veterinary Institute theme page on LA-MRSA in pigs

Netherlands - Illegal antibiotics found on farms

The world is dealing with international veterinary drug smugglers and dealers: really serious criminals implicated in multiple crimes and tens of thousands of consequential deaths.

But let's be fair, the writer got it right over the past fourteen years on the British newsgroup uk.business.agriculture.

Now the super clean Dutch go down under the veterinary crime wave.

Britain remains under the domination of veterinary drug barons and their civil service and political protectors, all ultimately threatened with very long gaol terms.

One is ashamed for Britain, but maybe we can catch up.

The full Dutch News report is here, as always, read in full.

Illegal antibiotics found on four Dutch veal and one beef farm

Friday 27 June 2014

Food safety inspectors have frozen the operations of four veal and one beef farm after finding traces of illegal antibiotics in animal feed.

All livestock on the five farms is being tested and those which are found to have the antibiotic in their blood will be killed and the meat destroyed. The feed containing the drug was sold by one of the farms to the others, according to the food safety body statement.

Meat from the farms is now being traced. Some 45,000 kilos was sold in the Netherlands but consignments also went to Belgium, Germany, Spain and Italy where the authorities have been informed, the food safety body said...

...the meat which is in circulation should be withdrawn from sale as a precaution...

Denmark - Yet another pig antibiotic scandal breaks

The original headline was not too informative on the story tucked in at the bottom. It is tough being a journalist in Denmark.

Not only are you in danger of arrest by a panicking government for publishing the names of farms, but you also have to handle drug smugglers and dealers.

You can see where the big money comes from to bribe politicians and hire criminals to defame and harass those campaigning for reform in Denmark and elsewhere - BIG PHARMA and often their veterinary retailers.

Anyway, as we would expect, reform is now under way in Denmark and the Copenhagen Post has managed to get the news out here.

Be sure to read the whole, good and bad.

Pig welfare set for improvement

Some 22 new initiatives hope to improve conditions of industry as more antibiotics show up at Jutland farms

June 26, 2014
16:52

by Nanna G Vansteelant

Danish pigs look set to improve today when Food Minister Dan Jørgensen presents 22 initiatives aimed at raising the standards of animal welfare at pig farms...

...Irresponsible farmers use illegal antibiotics

In other news, 50 kilos of illegal broad-spectrum antibiotics have been found in a single pig-population on one of Jutland's many pig farms.

Tetracyclin is not approved for animal treatment as it can develop antibiotic resistance, but eight Jutland farms (and counting) have been caught using it, according to Ingeniøren.

The discovery was made by a team of vets sent out by the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to make sure the laws are being upheld.

Per Henriksen, the veterinary director at the administration, is concerned about the irresponsibility displayed by pig farmers
"They risk putting food safety and the export of Danish pork in jeopardy when they gamble with the illegal import of medicine."
According to Ingeniøren, the Veterinary and Food Administration has reported the medicinal importers to the Danish police and banned slaughtering at the eight farms. ...

MRSA CC398 constitutes an ever increasing share of MRSA infectees

There is nothing really new here, certainly not the mind-boggling complacency of the first paragraph. It does however confirm that a sorry state of affairs continues in Denmark.

You can see why the Danes had to arrest  journalists to try to keep control of the media. The Danish government are not facing reality.

Scotland imports breeding stock from this dangerous pig industry. Mind you, MRSA st398 is already in Scotland – has been for years, despite what Defra and the devolved  veterinarians tell us. We also know they have exported disease south to England in weaners.

The most frightening thing is that despite persistently sick pigs, the Danes still manage to massively outperform Britain on pork produced per sow, and have done for many years. If the Danish pigs are this infected, Britain's must be much worse

The official production figures unwittingly gives us a good idea of just how sick British pig herds really are and for how long. See Pig Disease the Most Important Webpage 

You can see why Defra, Britain's agricultural ministry, have bolted throwing public relations functionaries, cronies and compliant veterinarians all over their tracks. They would rather discuss irresponsibly flooding huge areas of England last winter than pig health.

This, if the scandal erupts soon, is going to complicate the Scottish independence and the EU independence debates. Many have good reason to see that it does.

Anyway, here is Statens Serum Institut. Be sure to read the whole sorry tale. All's not well in the state of Denmark.

MRSA CC398 constitutes an ever increasing share of MRSA infectees

18 June 2014

In 2007, pig MRSA of the CC398 type comprised only 2% of all notified MRSA cases in Denmark. This year, the type presently accounts for more than 35% of cases. The overwhelming majority of these cases are carriers of the bacterium and have no symptoms of staphylococcal infection, and only a very limited number of persons become seriously ill due to the infection…

MRSA st398 - Dutch courage reaping the rewards of integrity

When the Netherlands found that MRSA st398 (cc398) had spread from pigs to a child in 2003, their scientists flew to the USA and told the world, even before publishing.

You can find the whole story contemporaneously recorded on the newsgroup uk.business.agriculture

On their return, the Dutch industry began to reduce antibiotic use in livestock, reaping the benefits in their hospitals for years.

When Britain found MRSA st398 around the same time, their infamous corrupt Agricultural Ministry, Maff - Defra, began pumping out propaganda, failed to test the pigs, refused to admit they had the same problem and encouraged cronies to silence anyone threatening to expose the scandal. That included witnesses to Parliament at Westminster.

Their activities will inevitably form the subject of a Royal Commission with consequential criminal prosecutions.

Maryn McKenna tells the uplifting story of Dutch integrity and the results. It really is a case of Dutch courage against a sniveling forelock tugging British vetocracy, lining up to collect ill-earned gongs (honours).

British veterinary duplicity and cover-ups  means there can be no such good story about Britain.

The children and the old people, who were and will be, the victims don't yet get a voice in Britain.

But they will: those most responsible have bolted taking the vast proceeds of their crime off-shore. They will have to be repatriated and their ill-gotten gains removed to assist the many victims of organised veterinary crime.

Anyway, just some highlights from a long article by Maryn McKenna. As always, read the whole alarming story, here, not just my extracts

The Abstinence Method

Dutch farmers just say no to antibiotics for livestock.

By Maryn McKenna on June 17, 2014

Along with every other livestock producer in the Netherlands, Oosterlaken is in the midst of a high-stakes, government-mandated experiment: Can large-scale meat production succeed without routine use of antibiotics? “Growth promoters,” the microdoses of everydayantibiotics given to livestock to fatten them, have been banned in Europe since 2006—but the Netherlands decided to go even further. Since 2009, Dutch farmers have cut animal drug use by half without harming either animal welfare or their own profits. Four years into the project, their accomplishment has huge implications for farming throughout the world.

“We decided that animal health, and human health, would be our priority,” Oosterlaken told me last fall in his barn, surrounded by warm plastic-lined pens where sows snoozed and new piglets squealed. “I don’t need to take antibiotics every day. There’s no reason my pigs should either.”...

...Antibiotics have been a crucial (and controversial) component of meat production for decades...

... British scientists began detecting a spike in antibiotic-resistant infections in humans in the 1960s, and in 1977, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tried to ban some routine animal dosing, blaming it for
increasing amounts of antibiotic resistance. Since then, hundreds of scientific studies have traced a link between antibiotic use in livestock and antibiotic-resistant bacteria on farms and in theoutside world.

At the same time, antibiotic-resistant human illnesses have been worsening around the world, producing what the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls “nightmare bacteria” that cannot be treated by traditional methods.

So if the Netherlands can reduce routine antibiotic use without harming its farmers’ survival, maybe other countries can, too...

... The country is tiny, but its livestock-raising is intensive and high-tech: 17 million people and about 118 million farm animals share a space only the size of Maryland, yet the Netherlands is Europe’s leading meat exporter. So if the Netherlands can reduce routine antibiotic use without harming its farmers’ survival, maybe other countries can, too...

...In 2004, the effects of that largescale antibiotic use emerged. A pig farmer’s toddler daughter was taken to a hospital for surgery, received the routine check for resistant bacteria that all Dutch hospital patients get and was discovered to be carrying MRSA, aka drug-resistant staph — a virulent, hard-to-treat infection that can
become life-threatening. That was extraordinary: MRSA has become more common in the U.S., but the Netherlands had almost none because of its tight controls on antibiotic use in health care. The girl’s parents carried the organism too; so did their friends, and so did one of their pigs. The strain had a unique resistance signature, indicating it had developed in pigs because of the antibiotics they were given every day, and it was soon found throughout the country, contaminating farms and infiltrating health care. (To this day, when members of Dutch farm families go into hospitals, they are put into isolation rooms until lab tests show they are clear of the germ.)...

...The idea that farming could transmit a threat to the rest of society shook national confidence. “Many people in the Netherlands have animal production at their back door, so they are always looking at what’s happening,” says Dr. Albert Meijering, a policy officer at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The “pig MRSA” outbreak — subsequent investigations found the bacteria throughout Europe and in Canada and the U.S. — was followed by another shock: an outbreak on goat farms of Q fever, a disease so infectious that the U.S. government considers it a potential bioterror agent.

The final blow was the 2009 discovery that another drug-resistant infection, more serious than MRSA, was infiltrating the country. This one, which goes by the acronym ESBL, was spreading via gut bacteria, even in people who had no obvious link to farming. And when nresearchers looked for the source, they found it in food animals...

...So, the Dutch minister of agriculture, Gerda Verburg, decided to be bold. ..

 ... she developed a tough new policy: No more preventive dosing. Antibiotics after a veterinary inspection only. And farmers would be expected to cut their use severely: by 20 percent in one year, and 50 percent in three.

It could have sparked a revolt. Instead, Dutch farmers buckled downIn 2013, the ministry announced that antibiotic sales to livestock farms dropped 56 percent between 2007 and 2012...

...“This was done without any big consequences in efficiency, or financial returns,” marvels Jan Kluytmans, a professor of microbiology who monitors antibiotic resistance at Amphia Hospital in the university town of Breda in the southern part of the Netherlands. “I think it indicates they were using too much.”

The Dutch government’s new antibiotic system is complex but straightforward...

.. All farm drug prescriptions become part of a national database, andfarms raising the same type of animal are ranked against each other togauge how well they are doing. (This year, veterinarians will be ranked against each other as well, to reveal who is prescribing the most drugs.) Antibiotics are also rated; to prescribe the drugs most likely to stimulate serious resistance, a veterinarian must demonstrate that a susceptibility test has been performed and that no other drug will work.

There are points of tension...

.. The 2013 edition of the Netherlands’ annual report on antibiotic usage in animals shows resistant bacteria declining in pigs, veal, chickens and dairy cattle. What will really prove its worth, though, is whether antibioticresistant infections decline in humans too. Kluytmans believes he can see signs of progress. “We can say for sure there is no further increase, and there may even?be a decrease” of ESBL-resistant bacteria in humans, he tells me. “We have to be very careful with this. But if it can be proven, it will be an example that, even on a large scale, you can turn back the tide.”

This could be the proof that recalcitrant countries like the U.S. will require to think about similar changes. It is validation that the Netherlands needs as well to keep antibiotic reduction going. The Ministry of Agriculture has set a new goal of reducing drug use again. It wants to force antibiotic use on farms down to 30 percent of where things were before the program started. This stage, everyone agrees, will be the difficult one.

“We are halfway to where we want to be,” says Mossink, in reference to the Health Ministry. “We need farmers and veterinarians to accept their new roles. We’ll need different stables, different food. We’ll
need consumers to be willing to pay a bit more, because meat will be more expensive.”

Really, she adds, “We are trying to reinvent agriculture in the Netherlands.”

BBC does an Upton Sinclair on slaughterhouse corruption

Well, it is all there. We know the names the voices and the places. A tale worthy of Upton Sinclair (The Jungle).

We almost know the pigs by name.

On BBC tonight - the intimidation, the cruelty, the fraud, the corruption, the hypocrisy, the disease, the dangers to the food chain, the dangers to our trading partners, and the dangers to the children.

This is the biggest scandal of the century.

So, for sure, for those listening, the horrors of what has been going on in Britain for the past couple of decades has partly been blown.

Defra, Britain's infamous corrupt agricultural ministry, refused to become involved in the BBC programme.

Much, much worse is yet to come. It is a great sadness, that this is only the beginning of the end. The end will be the recognition of a human disaster of massive proportions and restitution to the victims.

British government veterinarians are responsible and they are running scared of international justice catching up with them.

Nobody, in their right mind,  interferes with witnesses to Britain's Parliament and that coupled with the human deaths is the road to very long gaol sentences for those responsible.

You can get it on iplayer maybe here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b046kybw

Inside the Abattoir

Duration: 38 minutes
First broadcast: Tuesday 17 June 2014

The recent furore over halal meat has focused attention on how our meat is killed and processed.

But beyond the ethical and religious debate over halal, are there bigger concerns about how abattoirs are regulated and policed?

Companies have been fined for failing to remove body parts associated with the human form of mad cow disease, BSE.

Now there are plans to shake-up the inspection process which critics say this could lead to more infected animals entering the food chain.

There are also claims that vets based in abattoirs to monitor animal welfare - and inspectors who check meat we eat is safe - regularly face threats and intimidation.

Allan Urry investigates the grim realities of the slaughterhouse.

Denmark: Antibiotics in pigs linked to urinary tract infections in humans

The flood gates are opening in Denmark.

A Royal Commission of Enquiry in Britain is now pretty well inevitable, and when they find that witnesses to Parliament at Westminster have been harassed from Scotland, the fur will really fly.

You can't do that in any democracy. I don't know of any prior case in Britain.

The full Landbrugsavisen report is here

High antibiotic consumption gives more ESBL bacteria

By Philip Knaack Kirkegaard

Friday, June 13, 2014 17:22

The bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections can be transmitted from pigs to humans. This year, 70 so far infected.

ESBL bacteria that can cause urinary tract infections and, in rare cases, much more serious infections such as blood poisoning has increased over the past 10 years. The increase seen in both animals
and humans in Denmark and the rest of the world.

Now, research shows from Statens Serum Institut and the National Food Institute, the bacteria thrive in herds with a high consumption of antibiotics, which today no longer used in pig production.

"We found significantly more ESBL bacteria in pigs on farms with high consumption of cephalosporins compared with herds in the same period had a consumption of these antibiotics. So there is a connection, "said senior researcher Yvonne Agersø from the National Food Institute...

...70 infected with ESBL last year

Since January 1, 2014, Statens Serum Institut monitored the number of blood poisoning caused by ESBL bacteria. In the first four months, SSI has received 70 reviews of blood poisoning caused by ESBL bacteria.

Denmark - Pig farmers gather ammunition against MRSA publication

It is impossible not to feel sympathetic, but this is the result of allowing secrecy in the first place. If genuine media stories were allowed to develop, for good or ill, over years, it would never reach such a pitch.

Look at Britain, where her most senior veterinarians are absolutely terrified of what is going to come out when the scandal of multiple pig health cover-ups breaks. A Royal Commission is now inevitable and they will have to give evidence under oath with severe penalties for perjury.

It is the secrecy, deliberate disinformation and cover-ups that prevent the problems being tackled properly. It allows government to abdicate their proper responsibilities and allows chancers and confidence tricksters to fill the gap.

You can't treat sick pigs with slick PR, corruption, conspiracy, threats, secrecy, wild fabrications and blaming the innocent.

These farming organisations should be worried about the health of their members and their own families, not trying to impose news blackouts.

The full article from Lansbrugavisen is here

Pig farmers gather ammunition against MRSA publication

By Philip Knaack Kirkegaard

Friday, June 13, 2014 17:00

Danish Pig Producers collect stories about playmates for example, not to play with pig producers children due to MRSA fears.

Pig farmers risk being stigmatized in society if the public which herds infected with MRSA.

It believes Danish Pig Producers who are upset that the ParliamentaryOmbudsman believes that it is wrong to deny journalists access to infection data on livestock...

Denmark - Good news on MRSA st398, (cc398) or is it?

The latest report from Denmark starts with some alarming news, and then pours reassurance.

Unlike Britain, where MRSA st398 remains a state secret and the government still has not admitted that the pigs have or carry MRSA, the Danes come clean by admitting they have widespread MRSA in their pigs and that it is getting worse. They then rather spoil their candour by playing down the human risks and arresting journalists identifying infected farms.

But rather spoiling the complacent picture, Denmark  has had an outbreak of MRSA st398 reported this year in a care home with a human death - Danish Health Ministry report is here

Extracts from the Statens Serum Institut report follows, as always read in full here.

MRSA CC398 account for an increasing proportion of MRSA-infected

June 11, 2014

While pig MRSA CC398 in 2007 accounted for only 2 percent of all reported MRSA in Denmark, is the so far more than 35 percent this year. The vast majority of these cases are carriers of the bacteria and have no symptoms of a staphylococcal infection, and only a few get serious illness caused by infection.

During the period 2007-2013, SSI received a total of 8375 MRSA isolates for microbiological characterization, and 15% of these were of the type CC398, which can be transmitted from pigs to humans. Both the number and proportion of CC398 has increased over this period. Thus, only 2% CC398 in 2007 while this share in 2013 had risen to 31%. The figures for January April 2014 indicate that this trend will continue, as so far received 784 MRSA strains in 2014 accounting for 36% CC398.

Part of the increase is due to more of those infected are discovered. Today, all patients being admitted to hospital asked if they work with pigs or live on a farm with pigs crew. If they do, they examined for MRSA, although they do not have evidence of infection with the bacterium. This can be attributed to the Board of Health in 2012 issued a revised MRSA manual, where contact with pigs was introduced as a risk situation for MRSA infection...

Denmark - MRSA st398 (cc398) - Journalist arrests - Ombudsman intervenes

It's a long, sad and complicated story, with journalists being arrested and convicted, after a long delay, for releasing information on which Danish pig farms were known to have MRSA st398 in their pigs.

An additional four year delay did not help anyone, with human deaths directly attributed to MRSA on Danish pig farms, and some spread abroad, especially to other Scandinavian countries, where some information has been released.

The situation is not good for public health, anywhere.

You can find many articles on the British newsgroup uk.business.agriculture and on the blog below, dealing directly with the scandal, and the implications for similar cover-ups and scandals in Britain.

Finally, the Danish ombudsman has intervened, and ordered the information to be released.

The journalists, Kjeld Hansen and Nils Mulvad are to be congratulated.

"Aabenhedstinget and Investigative Reporting Denmark continue to work to get the list of infected farms for publishing it. Aabenhedstinget is a network for openness under the Danish School of Media and Journalism."

Much of the story can be read, in translation, on this site:
http://www.ir-d.dk/danish-ombudsman-names-of-infected-pigfarms-must-be-public/

and a search on the blog http://animal-epidemics.blogspot.co.uk/ will produce much more information on MRSA in Danish pigs, from other sources, dating back as far as 2008

Britain - Hepatitis E - HEV in pigmeat is a ticking timebomb

We have progress, at last, in Britain to deal with a long neglected scandal. 

Although pork is a major worry, we should also be concerned with the impact on people raising and handling pigs, their families and contacts, and the outrageous government veterinary cover-up in the UK on this and other zoonotic pig diseases. 

There has been widespread sustained serious criminal activity to cover-up this disgraceful situation over many years, with many resulting human casualties.

We now need an urgent Royal Commission of Enquiry with witnesses giving evidence under oath.

The full news report can be found here and is essential reading.

http://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Food-Safety/Hepatitis-E-in-pork-the-next-food-safety-issue

Hepatitis E in pigmeat is a ticking timebomb

By Nicholas Robinson

04-Jun-2014

Hepatitis E in pork products will be the next battleground in foodborne diseases, a leading food safety expert has warned.

The number of hepatitis E cases reported in foods had increased from relatively few, to more than 600 last year, said Sarah O’Brien, professor of infection epidemiology and zoonoses at the University of Liverpool... 

Denmark - Minister outlines plan for tackling pig MRSA

Following the very serious criticism a few days ago from Professor Hans Jørn Kolmo,  see our previous post:

http://animal-epidemics.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/mrsa-st398-drug-resistant-swine.html

the Danish government seems to be further tightening the rules on Pig MRSA to try to prevent human infection.

Britain's government veterinary establishment continues their decade long cover-up and does nothing.

As always read the latest Copenhagen Times report, here, in full.

Minister outlines plan for tackling MRSA bacteria

Routine medicating of herds was banned on Sunday

June 3, 2014
10:37

by Christian Wenande


The food minister, Dan Jørgensen, has launched a five-point plan aimed at keeping MRSA contained in pig farms after a spike in deaths related to the multidrug-resistant swine bacteria...

... "We must end the spread of MRSA from the pig farms to society at large," Jørgensen said in a press release.

"I will intensify the battle against MRSA by stopping routine herd medicating and reducing the overuse of antibiotics at pig farms."

The routine medicating of herds was banned on Sunday, and it is now being investigated whether the antibiotic tariffs, introduced as a deterrent, are working as intended...