Pat's Note: The archives of uk.business.agriculture can help trace
relevant information. The series of reportsdated 21 December 2006 for
example

Previous cases do seem to show a uk distribution consistant with the
Gardiner Hypothesis that pis are a possible source.

More research needed. More reliable data needed.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2573879/New-deadly-MRSA-superbug-threat.html


New deadly MRSA superbug threat 
Cases of a potentially deadly form of MRSA - that can be lethal within
24 hours - have tripled in one year, official figures show. 
 
By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor 
Last Updated: 12:23PM BST 17 Aug 2008

A highly virulent strain of the superbug has spread across America and
it is feared it could take hold here.

The form, known PVL-MRSA, produces a toxin that destroys white blood
cells and normally causes boils and other skin complaints.

But if it gets into an open wound it can cause serious complications
which are lethal in 75 per cent of cases.

There were just 159 cases of PVL-MRSA in 2006 in England and Wales but
this rose to 516 in 2007.

Government scientists say the rise is mostly due to better reporting
of cases and increased testing which was encouraged by experts.

Britain does not have a major problem with the infection, they said,
unlike America where it has spread in army barracks, gyms and schools.

MRSA is a drug resistant form of the common infection Staphylococcus
aureus and mostly occurs in hospitals and care homes in the UK.

But the PVL form can be unrelated to healthcare and in 2004 it killed
18-year-old Royal Marine Richard Campbell-Smith who contracted it
after scratching his leg on a training run. 

A spokesperson for the Health Protection Agency's Centre for
Infections, which published the figures, said good infection control
and personal hygiene measures are key to preventing PVL-related
infections.

"GPs and other health care workers in the community, along with
schools and various leisure settings will now also have access to the
most up to date guidance on what to look out for with this infection
and how best to treat and manage patients," she added.

"Although several other countries have encountered serious problems
with PVL-related disease, it is important to note that infections
caused by PVL-Staphylococcus aureus (including PVL-MRSA) remain
uncommon in the UK. However, we must remain vigilant and continue to
encourage awareness-raising of this type of infection".

The report from the HPA said most cases of PVL-Staphylococcus aureus
are contracted in the community and affect previously healthy children
and young adults.

Most forms of the infection found in the UK can be successfully
treated with everyday antibiotics.

The report said: "Infections caused by PVL-positive strains of S.
aureus normally cause pus-producing skin infections (e.g. abscesses or
boils) and occasionally cellulitis or tissue necrosis. However, they
can cause more severe invasive infections such as septic arthritis,
bacteraemia (blood poisoning) or community-acquired necrotising
pneumonia."

Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer, wrote to all healthcare
workers in 2006 warning them to be alert for this infection and
doctors are advised to follow up patients with symptoms.

The Health Protection Agency has issued new guidelines on the
diagnosis and treatment of PVL-Staphylococcus aureus.

The guidance reiterates conventional day-to-day personal hygiene
advice relevant to people, whether health specialists or not, working
in closed communities. 

It said: "North American experience suggests there is high risk of
infected or colonised individuals transmitting PVL-SA in such settings
as: households, schools, close contact sports (wrestling, American
football, rugby, etc), military training camps, gyms and prisons."

-- 
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/

On Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:17:42 +0100, Pat Gardiner
 wrote:

>Pat's Note: The archives of uk.business.agriculture can help trace
>relevant information. The series of reportsdated 21 December 2006 for
>example
>
>Previous cases do seem to show a uk distribution consistant with the
>Gardiner Hypothesis that pis are a possible source.

Correction "pigs are a possible source"
>
>More research needed. More reliable data needed.
>
>
>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2573879/New-deadly-MRSA-superbug-threat.html
>
>
>New deadly MRSA superbug threat 
>Cases of a potentially deadly form of MRSA - that can be lethal within
>24 hours - have tripled in one year, official figures show. 


Pat's further notes: There were cases in humans linked to pigs in
Holland and cases in areas where pigs sick with mutated PMWS were and
are known to be a problem. Children died.

You can look up the archives for yourselves. They are rather lively to
put it mildly and date back 18 months and more

They include this, which would appear to need some explaining in
Britain.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/546729 


Pig Farmers. A new problem was recognized in The Netherlands in 2003
when 
there was a surge of PVL-positive isolates that were traced to pig
farmers. 
Cultures of this group yielded an untypable PVL-positive MRSA in
23%.[11] 
This strain was limited to pig farmers, but it subsequently became 
transmitted in the hospital. A case-control study implicated pig
farming, 
and cases correlated with pig density. They then isolated and screened
all 
pig farmers on admission. Pig farmers have now replaced foreigners as
the 
major source of MRSA in that country. 

-- 
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/