MRSA

It is important to know about how to avoid MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) when working with livestock and particular pigs. Here you will learn more about MRSA and how to protect yourself from MRSA.

What is MRSA?

MRSA is a type of staphylococci which is resistant to the penicillin’s that are normally prescribed to treat staphylococci infections. There is a considerable risk of being infected with MRSA when working in pig sheds. But the disease can also appear in other kind of livestock’s such as mink, poultry and cattle.

Pigs typically carry MRSA in their snout or on the skin. In the pig shed, MRSA can be found in the dust, on all surfaces and in the air. In Denmark, a survey conveyed in 2016, that approximately 68 % of 72 farms.

How to protect yourself

The biggest risk of being infected with MRSA are persons who are weakened or sick, have open wounds or getting a tattoo or piercing.

Very often, MRSA are spread via your hands. Be aware of you routine when you leave the pig herd/farm. These are 4 central elements for protecting yourself and your surroundings from MRSA:

Leave your clothes at work.
Use soap when showering.
Wash both hands and wrists with soap.
End with sanitizer.

E-learning on MRSA

If you work with pigs in Denmark, you are obligated to participate in a hygiene e-learning course. The course focuses on how to reduce the infection from pigs to humans. The course is available in English.

Test yourself if you have got the routines correctly.

Learn more

Learn more about MRSA.