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Nasal swabs were collected from four batches of pigs during loading at the farm, on arrival at the abattoir and after stunning. Environmental wipes were taken from lorries after transporting pigs and from lairages after holding pigs.
All pigs (n = 117) tested MRSA negative before transportation. On arrival at the abattoir, 12/117 (10.3%) pigs in two batches tested MRSA positive. In lorries that tested positive after transportation, the prevalence of MRSA positive pigs was 21.1%, whereas no MRSA was detected in pigs that had been transported in lorries that tested negative after transportation. At stunning, all batches and 70/117 (59.8%) pigs tested MRSA positive. Pigs can become MRSA positive in the short period of time during transportation from the farm to stunning at the abattoir.
Els M. Broens, Elisabeth A.M. Graat, Peter J. Van Der Wolf, Arjen W. Van De Giessen, Mart C.M. De Jong. Transmission of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus among pigs during transportation from farm to abattoir . The Veterinary Journal, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 17 September 2010.
