Antibiotic resistance in commensal bacteria isolated from pig farmers. France 2001

The explosive rise in bacterial resistance is a consequence of the widespread use of antibiotics in humans, animals, and agriculture. Food of animal origin is a proven source of resistant bacteria for humans. The other consequences for humans of the development of antibiotic resistance in livestock farming are difficult to assess. This report describes the results of a study conducted at the request of the surveillance unit of the Medical Service of the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA) to determine whether working in contact with farm pigs poses a specific risk of colonization by resistant, commensal, or pathogenic bacteria for exposed individuals and, if so, to quantify this risk. To carry out this study, the MSA partnered with EPI9933 at Inserm, the Department of Infectious Diseases at the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance, and the professional sector represented by the National Federation of Livestock and Meat Cooperatives. The survey was conducted in the main French departments producing pork. It showed a significant increase in the prevalence of certain resistant commensal bacteria among pig farmers within the three ecosystems studied (nose, pharynx, colon), with high relative risks compared to the unexposed population, ranging from a prevalence ratio of 1.4 (95% CI [1.1–1.8] for streptomycin-resistant enterobacteria in the digestive tract, to 9.7 (95% CI [2.5–37.3]) for nasal carriage of macrolide-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. However, no significant increase in the prevalence of pathogenic bacterial carriage was observed. Overall, this study confirms that working in pig farming is a significant risk factor for the carriage of resistant commensal bacteria.

Author(s): Aubry Damon H, Andremont A, Lienard M, Delzescaux D

Publishing year: 2004

Pages: 59 p.

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