Discontent in Denmark is really in full flow. The veterinary industry can't stop the stream of critical reporting.
But the emphasis will now move to Britain and Ireland and to some of the most privileged people in both countries and some others.
Denmark deliberately introduces horses and other animals into the picture. That is especially explosive in Britain and Ireland, not least since HM the Queen had to pay back 86,000 sterling when some lunatic put morphine into the feed of one of her winners. Horse racing drug ethics are always, rightly, in question and often found wanting.
We have long known MRSA st398 was in British horses, and logically therefore in French and Irish horses, the stable girls, jockeys, veterinarians too. That means half the establishment, often the women, are exposed. There will also be a good sprinkling of Arabs, men not normally in touch with pigs or pork, and Arab horses will be carriers too.
As for cats and dogs… we don't know, possibly we suppose.
But the British and Irish love of horses makes for a far bigger mess now in Britain and Ireland than in Denmark. The risks are to a group far more politically significant than pig farmers.
The full Ingineer report is here be sure to read the whole.
Experts: Other animals must be tested for MRSA
Two thirds of Danish pig herds affected by MRSA, but other animals can also be infected by the resistant staphylococcal bacteria. Among other horses should now be examined, experts believe.
By Christian Østergaard December 23, 2014 at. 14:44
Though it may be much easier to be infected by a horse than a pig, it's still not studied how many horses and other animals that are affected by MRSA. Ministry of Food experts recommend studies of a variety of animals.
'The presence of livestock-MRSA in other productive than pigs should be examined such as cattle, mink, poultry and horses,' says a group of experts' recommendations...
..."It is well known that other animals can be infected with MRSA, and there is particularly strong evidence that MRSA CC398 found in pigs, also likes horses. Several studies from Germany and other countries shows that it is the most common type of MRSA in horses, but it has not been studied in Denmark, "says Professor MSO at Copenhagen University's Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Luca Guard Abassi.
He stresses that this is guess as long as the area has not been investigated in Denmark. There are no data on the frequency of livestock-MRSA among horses in the country, but researchers have an idea that it may be present, says Luca Guard Abassi. On the other hand
he does not expect that the bacterium is common among other animals. "Each animal is in various degrees of risk. Based on what we see in other countries, we expect that the horse is a potential disease carrier, while poultry and cattle carries a lesser extent, "he suggests...
...If, for example Danish horses carrying the infection, the risk will be that among other veterinarians and horse owners at risk of becoming infected. And although the number of horses is very small compared to the number of pigs infected horses may well have a significant impact, assesses Luca Guard Abassi...
"I do not know how much horses can help to spread the infection among people, but if you look at the type of relationship between humans and horses, it is actually more likely that it is transmitted from horses than from pigs. The level of contact between humans and horses is significantly higher than it is between humans and pigs. " When the infection is not transmitted through cooked food, the relationship between humans and infected animals, which are essential for infection. Luca Guard Abassi points like the expert group report
any health problem among people is still small...
