Cow MRSA can infect humans

Scientists have found cows carrying a superbug in Britain. This superbug is medically known as Meticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MSRA). "The Lancet Infectious Diseases" British medical journal, states that cows are collective source of the new type of MSRA infection in humans. However, the authors of the journal want to stress that pasteurization of milk will prevent any risk of MSRA infection. The main worry is people who are surrounded by cows since they act as a pool of bacteria. The standard test to detect MSRA works by searching for the gene that is responsible for making the bug resilient to antibiotics. The problem is the gene allows the new variant to be resilient to drugs which means that the standardized test does not work. There is a high concern for hospitals being infected by MSRA, especially in India. MSRA can easily infect surgical wounds or people with weaken immune systems. The University of Cambridge states that tests of the new variant can be misdiagnosed as meticillin-susceptible and given improper medication. Professor David Coleman from the University of Dublin states: “The results of our study indicate that new types of MRSA that can colonize and infect humans are emerging from animal reservoirs in Ireland and Europe. It is difficult to correctly identify them as MRSA”. guardian.co.uk