Mrsa

The hospital superbug MRSA is spreading among animals, vets have been warned.

MRSA, most commonly associated with humans, has been found in domestic and farm animals as it passes between people and pets, in particular dogs.

And the British Veterinary Association predicts the number of recorded cases will go up as the bug becomes more common in animals.

The Association is urging vets to adopt best practice and take precautions - use sterile gloves, masks and scrub suits during operations - to prevent animals getting the bug.

Bob Partridge, president of the British Veterinary Hospitals Association, said: "MRSA is a bug that affects people and the prevalence in hospitals is a matter of great concern.

"There have been cases of MRSA in the veterinary population and these are of great concern to veterinary surgeons here and abroad.

"The main concern is trying to ensure we have as few cases as possible by encouraging veterinary surgeons to adopt best practice in operating procedures."

Mr Partridge, who has a practice in Harrogate, Yorkshire, added: "There is certainly a wide awareness in the veterinary profession of MRSA and the problems that occur.

"These steps are being taken already in veterinary hospitals and a large number of practices.

"The problem will be that there will be an increasing number of cases as the bug becomes more common."
Ananova

thats scary - I thought MRSA only affected humans

That is scary but i suppose it was only a matter of time until they discovered it affects animals too

I heard this the other day- pretty worrying but people need to make the time for hygiene

I read this today in the paper. Very scary

It is worrying for all of us dogs and humans, I understand SA has always been there, it is the mutated antibiotic resistant strain that is the problem I guess the best advice is don't get ill

Mini you are correct. The SA bit (staphylococcus aureus) is a commensal organism ie it's a natural living organism that lives on your skin living off your dead skin cells etc. This organism will do you no harm unless it gets some where it shouldn't be eg a cut. If that happens then you get an infection pus forms and your body fights the infection, (if not anti biotics are prescribed) the cut scabs over and all is well!
Now MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) is the same thing but has become resistant to anti biotics (the methicillin bit) so when you get an infection and you're treated with antibiotics they don't work. You can survive quite happily with MRSA on your skin without coming to any serious harm, just like SA, but with MRSA there are only certain antibiotics that work. It can only get on to your pets when they come into contact with someone who has MRSA or in the vets where other animals that already have it.
Please do not be alarmed by MRSA, I've known about it beginning to spread to animals for a while but it is of no major threat as long as you politely remind your vet about the possibility of your animal carrying it. MRSA only kills rarely, I look at it from the same perspective as something like pneumonia. If you caught pneumonia and you were fit and well then most likely you'd fight it off. However if you were 95 years old and had just had a hip replacement the chances are it would kill you.
I'm probably covered in MRSA (as will be my pets) as I'm a student nurse and am in and out of hospitals constantly, yet I am perfectly ok. I get severly sick of this media hype that serves only to worry people without giving all the facts!!
When I told my family I probably carried the organism they were horrified. Things like "God that's kills you doesn't it?" shot from there mouths!! This is simply not true, it is something that needs careful monitoring as the anti biotics that fight this infection are fast becoming rare.
And just so you know, MRSA was created by the over use of anti biotics by doctors.
And no it isn't a flesh eating infection!
Rant over.

lol RS my hon.D/I/L/ is a Staff Nurse in a hospital that feature on TV as being very dirty and full of MRSA, son wanted her to sleep in the garden shed in a yellow Hazard bag after that but she refused
I think if you eat a good diet full of fresh food garlic and herbs you have little to fear