Four Cases of MRSA Found in Norwegian Pigs
NORWAY - The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has identified four cases of MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus that are resistant to antibiotics) in Norwegian pigs. The country's food safety authority, the National Veterinary Institute and the swine industry are now considering measures to prevent spread of the disease.
23 May 2013
2 minute read
"While this poses no immediate health risk, the finding is something we take seriously," said Orhan Åmdal from the FSA.
In 2012, FSA carried out a mapping programme on the incidence of MRSA in pig herds. In the anonymous survey was the animal-associated variant, MRSA ST398, demonstrated in samples from one of the 175 herds.
The National Veterinary Institute in 2013 demonstrated the same type of MRSA in samples from pigs in three herds. The herds had infectious via contact with livestock trade and passenger traffic.
Pet-Associated MRSA was detected in samples from Norwegian pigs for the first time in 2011, and the presence of bacteria in Norwegian animals still appears to be very limited. All the proven MRSA bacteria from the 2011, 2012 and 2013 surveys are genetically closely related and may stem from the same source.
