A pig industry group is looking to spearhead an industry-wide review of the UK pig industry’s strategy on Livestock Associated-MRSA (LA-MRSA).
At a meeting between National Pig Association (NPA) and the main UK pig breeding companies, it was agreed that relying on screening of imported breeding livestock alone was not a holistic approach to dealing with LA-MRSA.
NPA senior policy advisor Georgina Crayford said: “While the current NPA Import Protocol strongly recommends screening breeding stock for LA-MRSA pre and post-import, we recognise that industry policy around this needs clarifying, especially as it is safe to assume we already have LA-MRSA in the UK pig herd albeit at a low level.”
“The NPA is now in discussion with the Pig Health and Welfare Council about organising a roundtable discussion to come up with an industry-wide strategy for dealing with LA-MRSA.
“The aim will be to agree appropriate measures to both minimise importation of the bacterium and prevent further spread between herds.”
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) continues to advise LA-MRSA poses a ‘very low risk’ to the public via food.
An FSA report published earlier this year said, to its knowledge, there had been no reported foodborne outbreaks of LA-MRSA in humans in either the UK or worldwide.
“The prevalence of LA-MRSA in animals in other European countries appears to be significantly higher than in animals in the UK. Current data suggest that the prevalence of food contaminated with LA-MRSA is low in the UK,” the report concluded.
“The risk to human health from the preparation, handling and/or consumption of LA-MRSA/MRSA contaminated foodstuffs in the UK is very low, especially when compared to other routes of transmission.”
The FSA’s advice remains unchanged - that raw food should be stored appropriately, handled hygienically and cooked thoroughly.
What is LA-MRSA?
Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) refers to any strain of common bacteria, S. aureus, that is resistant to certain antibiotics.
Livestock associated (LA) is a relatively recently-discovered strain of MRSA that has been identified in livestock in various countries worldwide.
It was first identified in livestock in the Netherlands in 2004 and has been found most commonly in pigs as well as in cattle, horses, chickens and turkeys.
The UK authorities are adamant the risk posed by LA-MRSA remains low, although agricultural workers are advised to take precautions.
