Monday, May 18, 2015 - A study recently published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases revealed that swine producers are more at risk for drug-resistant Staph aureus infection.
1,242 Iowa residents were tested and monitored for Staphylococcus aureus colonization or infection over a 17-month period. The study group included individuals with regular exposure to swine and urban residents for comparison.
The researchers tested for S. aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), tetracycline-resistant S. aureus (TRSA), multidrug-resistant S. aureus (MDRSA), and livestock-associated S. aureus ( LA-SA).
Of the participants, 26 percent carried S. aureus. 2.5 percent were positive for MRSA, and LA-SA was isolated from 9.8 of the participants.
The researchers concluded that swine workers are six times more likely to carry MDRSA (multidrug-resistant S. aureus) than those without swine exposure.