MRSA. Chagrin falls, Ohio April 5, 2008- Researchers in Toronto, Canada have found antibiotic-resistant Staph bacteria (MRSA) in pork products bought in retail stores across the country. Just under 10 per cent of sampled pork chops and ground pork recently purchased in four provinces tested positive for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or M-R-S-A. These findings were reported to the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta last week. Weese, a veterinarian based at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, Ontario, says proper cooking destroys the bacteria, so Staph food poisoning isn’t a major concern.
This author wonders whether or not individuals handling meat with M-R-S-A could end up “colonizing’ themselves. People with the bacteria on their skin or in their nostrils are at greater risk of developing a Staph infection, which can range from a boil to pneumonia to a potentially deadly bloodstream infection. Many may not stop eating pork, but those that do should practice good hygiene. To avoid unnecessary risk people should wash their hands well and handle pork products carefully. Using with plastic gloves helps to avoid self contamination. This is the first confirmed report of M-R-S-A in retail meat in North America.
