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Abstract

Screening of pig farmers and pigs in The Netherlands has revealed that >20% of pig farmers and 39% of slaughterhouse pigs are positive for an unusual strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) belonging to sequence type (ST) 398. It is now clear that the emergence of ST398 is not just a Dutch problem, with human infections being described in several European countries, Canada and Singapore. Furthermore, some human isolates have now acquired the genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin. Livestock may become an important source of community-acquired MRSA. A concerted effort on the part of clinicians, infection control practitioners and veterinarians will be required to prevent further spread of this novel strain of MRSA.

Keywords: Pig; Europe; zoonosis; Animals
Animals, Domestic/ microbiology
Community-Acquired Infections/ epidemiology/prevention &
control/veterinary
Disease Outbreaks
Disease Reservoirs/ veterinary
Humans
Methicillin Resistance
Netherlands/epidemiology
Staphylococcal Infections/ epidemiology/prevention & control/veterinary
Staphylococcus aureus/ drug effects
Sus scrofa
Swine Diseases/epidemiology.

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