Skip to main content
Log in

Infection and colonization with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 versus other MRSA in an area with a high density of pig farms

  • Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of the emergence of animal related methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 in an area with a high density of pig farms. A retrospective analysis was performed of all MRSA isolates in the laboratory database from 2002 till 2008 including typing results and clinical data from infection control archives and patient charts. The implementation of the screening of people in contact with pigs and veal calves for MRSA led to an increase in the average number of newly identified carriers from 16 per year between July 2002 and July 2006 to 148 between July 2006 and December 2008. This is a 925% increase of which 82% (108/132) was due to ST398. The majority (74%) came from targeted screening but 7% was due to unexpected findings. A wide range of infections with ST398 occurred in patients with and without contact with livestock varying from post-operative wound infections to sepsis and post-trauma osteomyelitis with an overrepresentation of spa type t567 among the clinical isolates. ST398 isolates were more often multi-resistant than isolates of other spa-types. The emergence of MRSA ST398 led to an increase in both MRSA carriers and MRSA infections.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wertheim HF, Vos MC, Boelens HA et al (2004) Low prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] at hospital admission in the Netherlands: the value of search and destroy and restrictive antibiotic use. J Hosp Infect 56:321–325

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. PB ten Ham, Hoebe CP, Nys S, Driessen C. Deurenberg RH, Stobberingh EE (2006) Prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the community. 12th International Symposium on Staphylococci and Staphylococcal Infections, Maastricht, p 168

  3. Voss A, Loeffen F, Bakker J, Wulf M, Klaassen C (2005) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in pig farming. Emerg Infect Dis 11:1965–1966

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. van Loo I, Huijsdens X, Tiemersma E, de Neeling A, van de Sande-Bruinsma N, Beaujean D et al (2007) Emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus of animal origin in humans. Emerg Infect Dis 13:1834–1839

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Wulf M, van Nes A, Eikelenboom-Boskamp A, de Vries J, Klaassen C, Melchers W et al (2006) Prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Dutch veterinarians and veterinary students. Emerg Infect Dis 12:1939–1941

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Huijsdens XW, van Dijke BJ, Spalburg E, van Santen-Verheuvel MG, Heck ME, Pluister GN et al (2006) Community-acquired MRSA and pig-farming. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 10:26–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bens CPM, Voss A, Klaassen CHW (2006) Presence of a novel DNA methylation enzyme in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates associated with pig farming leads to un-interpretable results in standard pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis. J Clin Microbiol 44:1875–1876

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Huijsdens XW, Bosch T, van Santen-Verheuvel MG, Spalburg E, Pluister GN, van Luit M et al (2009) Molecular characterisation of PFGE non-typable methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in The Netherlands, 2007. Euro Surveill 24:14

    Google Scholar 

  9. Wulf MWH, Markestein A, van der Linden FT, Voss A, Klaassen C, Verduin CM (2008) First outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 in a Dutch hospital, June 2007. Euro Surveill 28:13

    Google Scholar 

  10. Huijsdens XW, Bosch T, Haenen A, van Santen-Verheuvel MG, Spalburg E, Heck MEOC, Pluister GN, van Luit M, Tiemersma EW, de Neeling AJ (2008) Molecular epidemiology of PFGE non-typeable methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the Netherlands. Euro Surveill 24(14):38

    Google Scholar 

  11. Broens EM, Graat EAM, Wolf PJ, van der Duijkeren E, van Nes A, van Wagenaar JA, Giessen AW, van de Jong MCM de (2008) Transmission of NT-MRSA in the pig production chain in the Netherlands. Proceedings of the 20th International Pig Veterinary Science Congress, June 22–26, 2008

  12. Wulf MW, Tiemersma E, Kluytmans J, Bogaers D, Leenders AC, Jansen MW et al (2008) MRSA carriage in healthcare personnel in contact with farm animals. J Hosp Infect 70:186–190

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. van Cleef BA, Verkade EJ, Wulf MW, Buiting AG, Voss A, Huijsdens XW, van Pelt W, Mulders MN, Kluytmans JA (2010) Prevalence of livestock-associated MRSA in communities with high pig-densities in the Netherlands. PLoS ONE 25(5):e9385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Gibbs SG, Chistopher FG, Tarwater PM, Mota LC, Mena KD, Scarpino PV (2006) Isolation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria from the air plume downwind of a swine confined or concentrated animal feeding operation. Environ Health Perspect 114:1032–1037

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ekkelenkamp MB, Sekkat M, Carpaij N, Troelstra A, Bonten MJ (2006) Endocarditis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus originating from pigs. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 4(150):2442

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. W. H. Wulf.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wulf, M.W.H., Verduin, C.M., van Nes, A. et al. Infection and colonization with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 versus other MRSA in an area with a high density of pig farms. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 31, 61–65 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1269-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-011-1269-z

Keywords

Navigation