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ON May 23rd, 2008, the French Ministry of Health launched a national hand cleanliness campaign targeting health care workers, patients, and the general public. The campaign emphasizes that proper hand hygiene is the key element in preventing and controlling nosocomial infections.
It is critical that a through cleansing of one’s hands with a liquid alcohol solution containing an emollient to protect the skin precedes all health care treatments, no matter where they are carried out. All health care establishments throughout the country should see to it that these solutions are available at patient’s bed. Health care workers would also be required to carry a small bottle of disinfectant in the pockets of their uniform. |
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PIGS ARE A SOURCE OF MRSA CONTAMINATION |
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Written by Christine Besson
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Wednesday, 26 December 2007 |
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Several
recent studies conducted in France and the Netherlands have shown that pigs may
be carriers of a methicillan-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strain that
can be passed on to humans. In the Netherlands, 23% of pig farmers and
other workers (such as veterinarians) coming into contact with pigs were
carriers of the porcine strain and some of them became infected.
Dutch
health authorities consider contact with pigs to be an important risk factor
because patients have been colonized or infected by this specific strain.
Patients suspected of contamination are quarantined and then tested in order to
determine whether or not they are contaminated.
In the
United States, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and
Epidemiology (APIC) considers veterinarians to be high-risk candidates for MRSA
contamination and insists that they be tested when receiving medical treatment
or upon admission to hospital.
In Ontario, Canada,
the University of
Guelph published a study
on this very subject (CKNX Radio - October 14th, 2007). Two
different MRSA strains were detected in pigs and pig farmers thus proving that
these particular strains can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Because
high temperatures kill bacteria, eating pork does not constitute a health
threat as long as the meat is properly cooked.
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