MRSA

In this section you can find out more about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

MRSA is a major health concern in humans which can also colonise and cause infection in companion and farm animals. MRSA is of little risk to healthy animals and although transmission of infection from animals to man has been documented, the rate is thought to be low.

What the BVA has done

The BVA has issued

a policy brief on MRSA
a flowchart for the identification MRSA & MRSI in Practice Laboratories

Advice

MRSA screening and Occupational Health - MRSA has a high public profile but exposures to MRSA are currently infrequent in England. However there are fewer effective antibiotics to treat MRSA infections compared to those caused by meticillin sensitive S. aureus infections.

Therefore the Department of Health’s Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) was convened in 2009 to explore and provide guidance on the occupational health issues for staff working in veterinary practice relating to animals infected or colonised with MRSA.

The ARHAI Report provides advice on MRSA screening and occupation health in veterinary practice.

MRSA in cats and dogs - sporadic infections in cats and dogs have been anecdotally reported for years with the numbers increasing since Tomlin’s report in 1999.

Healthy cats and dogs are implicated in the transmission of the disease between humans and pets and can pose a risk to people with reduced immune systems.

Equally, pets who are immunosuppressed are most at risk. For this reason, strict hygiene should be in place and the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) offers guidelines on this.

MRSA in horses - MRSA infections in horses are increasingly being reported and there is a risk of transmission to humans. Recognising risk factors such as poor hygiene and surgery remain key to successful control of infection.

MRSA in farm animals - MRSA has been reported in dairy cows and in pigs and humans in contact with them, implying cross species transmission. It has also been detected in meat and by-products in Korea.