Neighbor News
Avoid Catching MRSA From Your Pet
MRSA is an acronym for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, which is an antibiotic resistant superbug.
A recent study shows that MRSA infections can transmitted between humans and household pets.
Studying the homes of 49 children with MRSA infections, it was found that 11 family pets were also colonized with the bacteria. The study found that the MRSA strains found on pets were often the same strains their owners had.
Since many dogs and cats carrying MRSA show no symptoms, it’s very possible for a human to transmit the bacteria to a pet and then have the bacteria carried by pet and consequently infect human family members.
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The growing incidence of MRSA in people and pets can be attributed to the overuse of antibiotics in humans, the meat industry and in veterinary medicine.