UK gardening - Meet your meat: MRSA test call for farm animals to combat human strain.

You are viewing an archived Text-only version of the thread. To view this thread in it's original format and/or if you want to reply to this thread please [click here]

Author

Meet your meat: MRSA test call for farm animals to combat human strain.

Adam Hart

2008-01-29, 3:25 am

MRSA test call for farm animals

All farm animals should be tested for a form of the superbug MRSA, an
organic group has urged the government.
The Soil Association says the bug is widespread in the Netherlands,
Belgium and Germany, from where some of the meat eaten in the UK is
imported.

In the Netherlands, 39% of pigs tested positive for the bug which can
be passed to humans.

And 13% of calves also tested positive for the bug, which is different
to the strain found in hospitals.

Poultry meat

The studies found that 50% of farmers were also positive, some of whom
have been resistant to antibiotics.

The Soil Association blamed the use of antibiotics in farming for the
problem.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/6236322.stm

LinkBot