Highly antibiotic-resistant strain of MRSA that arose in pigs can jump to humans

A new study has found that a highly antibiotic-resistant strain of the superbug MRSA - methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus - has emerged in livestock in the last 50 years, probably due to widespread antibiotic use in pig farming. Cases of livestock-associated MRSA in humans are still only a small fraction of all MRSA cases in human populations, but the fact that they-re increasing is a worrying sign. Lucy Weinert The strain, called CC398, has become the dominant type of MRSA in European livestock in the past fifty years. It is also a growing cause of human MRSA infections. The study found that CC398 has maintained its antibiotic resistance over decades in pigs and other livestock. And it is capable of rapidly adapting to human hosts while maintaining this antibiotic resistance. The results highlight the potential threat that this strain of MRSA poses to public health.