The answer to your question is a loud "yes."

MRSA has and is travelling from pigs to people. Many countries have now reported it.

Even today an Italian report was published detailing the case of a pig farmer catching and being hospitalised by the strain ST398 from his pigs.

Here is the URL

More ...

We now know for certain that the British government has been hiding up MRSA in pigs (the same strain) for at least five years and that they have been human cases (children) in Scotland.

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Regards
Pat Gardiner
Release the results of testing British pigs for MRSA and C.Diff now!
www.go-self-sufficient.com and http://animal-epidemics.blogspot.com/

As I understand the science, the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria in livestock being linked to the overuse of antibiotics is an established fact. It is also clearly been demonstrated that farm workers who have frequent contact with animals that are colonized with resistant bugs themselves have become colonized and in some cases infected. It was for this reason that a particular type of antibiotic that was used in farming in Europe and was clearly linked to VRE colonization and infection was banned from use in the US.

What is not well established is whether the meat products which are purchased in retail stores contribute to human coloization or infection from resistant bacteria. A recent study released by the CDC showed no contamination of consumer products.

We do know with absolute certainty that these resistant bugs proliferate in health care, where they are passed to a staggering number of consumers from the hands of health care workers and contaminated equipment. We also know with scientific certainty that this can be prevented through implementation and compliance with evidence-based best practices. And we know that most health care institutions are not doing this.

At a minimum it can be said that the imprudent use of antibiotics in any venue is bad and must end. The agriculture and farming industry will clearly not address this since it is against their financial interests to do so. Therefore, a mandate from the federal government is essential.

Michael and Pat, Thank you for your comments. Do you think the Federal Government's classification of hospital acquired infections as a "never event," and its failure to reimburse hospitals for the cost of treatment of a hospital acquired infection is having any effect on this threat to our health?
Also, do you know what study Medicare used to deem hospital acquired infections as "never events?"

About 3 years ago, as a result of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) began to change the rules so as to deny reimbursement to hospitals for treatment resulting from "never events", i.e. events that should never occur, such as wrong-site surgery, etc. CMS also named for non reimbursement a few conditions resulting from some hospital-acquired infections that were deemed to be "reasonably preventable". MRSA and VRE infections have so far not been included in the new rule. This is due to a glitch in the coding system and the strong lobbying efforts of the American Hospital Association and other medical industry representatives, rather than any particular study or the strength of the scientific evidence.

The new CMS rule is by no means comprehensive, but it is a start toward holding hospitals a bit more accountable and has had a very positive effect on patient safety. Commercial insurers taking their cue from CMS is adding to the pressure on hospitals to improve. Money talks.

CMS revisits the rule every year. As consumer advocates continue their fight for patient safety and more information about preventable conditions becomes apparent to the CMS acting administrator, more conditions will likely be added to the non reimbursement group.

As a British non-socialist supporter of Britain's National Health Service, that's a difficult one to answer. (Really! I know, most Americans are very surprised to find that even the most right wing Brits do support THEIR heath service. It does not stop them criticising as necessary.)

It is hard to get governments or hospitals anywhere to accept any fault for anything. When there are the two in the ring, the poor old victim usually carries the can on their health, nerves and their wallet.

The slow realisation that many of the problems are carried into hospitals from livestock farming might change the game.

The fault of big factory farming conglomerates and their veterinarians, the failure of governments to control them and any neglect on the hospital's part in protecting their patients by screening high risk patients on admission, raises a whole new range of responsibilities and potential liabilities.

I continue to be staggered that the "Anglo-Saxons" have not followed the logical and highly successful policies of the Dutch and other continental Europeans. One brave private hospital in Ireland has - that is all.

In the British context, many of those most neglectful and liable are both incredibly rich and extremely well insured for various third party liabilities. they are going to get a financial pasting eventually.

It is a natural for class actions on hitherto unseen scale.

The governments might be broke, the banks staggering, but the land is still there - and still providing well for its owners.Food prices are much higher than a year ago.

It might play out differently in a US context than in Britain and Canada, but I doubt it.

We still share that basic Common Law that pervades everything and says so many times that if you cause ill, you compensate.

By the way, thank you for providing such an interesting forum. You are doing a great job in helping protect Americans from some pretty dreadful problems.


--
Regards
Pat Gardiner
Release the results of testing British pigs for MRSA and C.Diff now!
www.go-self-sufficient.com and http://animal-epidemics.blogspot.com/

Its sad to see some scientist have short term vision and are not speaking out the truth. We must handle bacteria with meticulous care. They have already proved to us and are smarter. They are capable of sharing genes and are not even waiting to be mature to start multiplying.

Report from Birmingham University show that shampoo in the water supply triggers growth of deadly drug-resistant bugs. Household cleaning products are creating a bacterial timebomb in our drains and rivers. The river and soil are colonized with these bacteria. (More ... )

Low concentration of antibiotic in the farm animals and even washing vegetables is likely to pose a threat. I do not think we have a quick fix method to stop this but must thread carefully and shun thinking about personal short-term gain and stop helping bacteria to destroy a generation.

Its sad to see some scientist have short term vision and are not speaking out the truth. We must handle bacteria with meticulous care. They have already proved to us and are smarter. They are capable of sharing genes and are not even waiting to be mature to start multiplying.

Report from Birmingham University show that shampoo in the water supply triggers growth of deadly drug-resistant bugs. Household cleaning products are creating a bacterial timebomb in our drains and rivers. The river and soil are colonized with these bacteria. (More ... )

Low concentration of antibiotic in the farm animals and even washing vegetables is likely to pose a threat. I do not think we have a quick fix method to stop this but must thread carefully and shun thinking about personal short-term gain and stop helping bacteria to destroy a generation.

Its sad to see some scientist have short term vision and are not speaking out the truth. We must handle bacteria with meticulous care. They have already proved to us and are smarter. They are capable of sharing genes and are not even waiting to be mature to start multiplying.

Report from Birmingham University show that shampoo in the water supply triggers growth of deadly drug-resistant bugs. Household cleaning products are creating a bacterial timebomb in our drains and rivers. The river and soil are colonized with these bacteria. (More ... )

Low concentration of antibiotic in the farm animals and even washing vegetables is likely to pose a threat. I do not think we have a quick fix method to stop this but must thread carefully and shun thinking about personal short-term gain and stop helping bacteria to destroy a generation.

Dr. Srivatsa,
Thank you for your comment. I did not know of the threat caused by household detergents such as shampoo. After going to the link you posted, it makes sense, that diluted detergents make the microbes stronger. Same thing that happens with antibiotics if they are not taken properly.
I would appreciate knowing more about this threat.