July 30, 2014
UK reports first MRSA case in Northern Ireland
UK discovered the first case of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Northern Ireland.
The Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics in the UK is calling on the government to carry out a full survey of the country's pig industry following the case.
The Alliance is also calling for immediate restrictions on the farm use of antibiotics classified as "critically important" in human medicine to reduce the spread of the bacteria.
Alison Craig, campaign manager for the Alliance, said: "The finding of MRSA in a UK pig has to kick-start the government into finally taking action against the overuse of antibiotics in farming. In the Netherlands, they have cut total farm antibiotic use by 63% in the last six years, whereas in the UK, use has actually gone up during that time."
This is the first case reported in pigs in the UK. LA-MRSA was first found in the Netherlands in 2004, and has since become widespread in intensively farmed pigs, poultry and veal calves in many European countries and in North America.
LA-MRSA can spread to humans and cause serious infections including blood poisoning, pneumonia and heart and bone infections.