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Superbug spread to Norwegian pigs from foreign farm workers
[UK's Bureau of Investigative Journalism] Pigs on Norwegian farms became infected with a superbug common in the Danish herd - despite Norway having a near total ban on live imports - through farm workers who had worked abroad, a study has found.Researchers looked at three outbreaks of a livestock variant of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in Norwegian pigs and concluded they were very likely sparked by humans ‐ a transmission route that was previously unknown. In two cases the bacterium was very similar to that found in Danish pigs and workers on the affected Norwegian farms had known contact with pig farms in Denmark. The third case also involved foreign farm workers, though it was not known whether the laborers had been in contact with livestock before entering Norway. Norway has strict procedures in place to keep its herd disease-free and is now considering introducing mandatory screening of all farm workers before they enter pig farms. The approach is a marked contrast to that of the UK, which does not see Livestock Associated-MRSA (LA-MRSA) as a serious threat to animal or human health. About the Bureau Posted by: Besoeker 2016-10-09 |
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