Occupational health guidance on MRSA in veterinary practice

WHILE livestock-associated MRSA and companion animal MRSA are not currently affecting significant numbers of animals in England, the situation needs to be kept under review, according to a recent report from the Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection.

The committee was established in 2007 to provide practical and scientific advice to the Government on strategies to minimise the incidence of healthcare-associated infections and to maintain the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents in the treatment and prevention of microbial infections in man and animals. The report has been produced by a multidisciplinary working group and examines the role of occupational health and MRSA screening in veterinary practice. It notes that MRSA in veterinary settings was worth considering because it has a high public profile and because there …