.
Interesting material: better for people maybe, but bad for pigs, calves (and vets)?
Extending the logic a little, the constant stream of pig people including veterinarians and farm assurance personnel through farms is a pretty obvious route of MRSA spread from farm to farm.
Britain's government vets are very keen to emphasis that people can give MRSA to animals. Nobody is arguing.
They also argue, with less credibility, that Britain's livestock does not have MRSA st398, despite it being found in Scottish children in hospital some years ago.
People had to get it from somewhere first, and those giving it to animals are normally in contact with animals, that is self evident.
They are picking it up from animals and passing it on to the next farm on their route. That fact makes the failure of Britain's vets to own up to MRSA in livestock, especially pigs, both understandable and ridiculous.
These government vets, collectively, have a long record of gross incompetence: that apparently does extend to shooting themselves in both feet and personally spreading disease from farm to farm.
"...The presence of LA-MRSA in farmers is strongly animal-exposure related. The rapidly decreasing MRSA prevalence during absence of animal contact suggests that LA-MRSA is a poor persistent colonizer in most humans. These results are of relevance for MRSA control strategies."
The full report is available here
Persistence of Livestock Associated MRSA CC398 in Humans Is Dependent on Intensity of Animal Contact
The presence of Livestock Associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) in humans is associated with intensity of animal contact. It is unknown whether the presence of LA-MRSA is a result of carriage or retention of MRSA-contaminated dust...
...Mean MRSA prevalence was 38% in farmers and 16% in family members. Presence of MRSA in farmers was strongly related to duration of animal contact and was strongly reduced in periods with absence of animal contact (?58%). Family members, especially children, were more often carriers when the farmer was a carrier...
...The presence of LA-MRSA in farmers is strongly animal-exposure related. The rapidly decreasing MRSA prevalence during absence of animal contact suggests that LA-MRSA is a poor persistent colonizer in most humans. These results are of relevance for MRSA control strategies.
