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Antibiotics for treating mastitis in cows was 'cause of new MRSA variant'

Scientists believe that cows’ milk could be the source of the new variant of meticilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus identified in the UK and Denmark.

A NEW VARIANT of MRSA has been discovered in cows’ milk from the UK and Denmark, according to a new study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

This is the same strain of MRSA that was discovered in two Dublin hospitals.

The BBC reports that Dr Mark Holmes of Cambridge University and his colleague Dr Laura Garcia-Alvarez were studying a bacterium known to cause mastitis in cows when they discovered the new strain.

They then discovered that the strain was also present in humans, which was “very worrying”.

When MRSA infects wounds this drug-resistant form of bacteria can be deadly.

Dairy cows are susceptible to mastitis, which farmers treat with antibiotics.

The use of these antibiotics can mean that some bacteria become resistant. In turn, if humans become infected the disease can be very difficult to treat, the BBC reports.

It is also said that if farmers drive their cows to produce more milk, there is more chance of mastitis, and that dairy systems are becoming overly dependent on using antibiotics.

Fewer than 100 people per year in the UK are infected with this strain.

However the study says that the risk of infection through drinking milk is “extremely low”.

Read the BBC article here>

Read the study on in the Lancet Infectious Diseases website>

Researchers discover new form of MRSA superbug in two Dublin hospitals>

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6 Comments
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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Jun 3rd 2011, 2:11 PM

    Hi Aisling – the piece was updated just a second ago with that info, but thanks for the heads up!

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Jun 3rd 2011, 2:26 PM

    No prob Aisling appreciate the feedback & happy to clarify. Have linked to the other article so people can read about your lab’s work!

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    Mute Mad Gerald
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    Jun 3rd 2011, 6:14 PM

    Aisling may have the answer to something that has long puzzled me and have never seen a realistic answer to.
    I started to keep lots of free-range hens many years ago and like the goats and cattle mentioned they were out on grass eating anything and everything.From time to time a few hens would go “off colour” and there was a liquid available to put into the ater and they would perk up after a few days.No need to withdraw eggs from sale and no [apparent ] complications.I believe these were sulfonamides and not antibiotics but they suddenly went off the market for reasons that were never really explained.One chap said it was an EU licensing rule that involved large amounts of cash or was the drug too unsophisticated for modern trends.Point is that they worked and as far as I am aware did not spawn super-bugs. I really would love to know the answer even though its a long time since I had me hennies :-)

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