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Wednesday 20 August 2014

Denmark - MRSA cc398 - Pig Farmers Caught Between Veterinarians and Government


Danish TV again. This time commenting on the Pig Producers Association line.

From a poor mechanical translation we get the message that they are "fed up" and that they try to protect their families from MRSA cc398.

We also get the message that, as in Britain, pig farmers have to do what the veterinarians and the government tell them to do.

So the veterinarians will not be walking away from their responsibilities.

Veterinary reform is now inevitable.

The vetocracy might as well get on with it and own up to the true pig health picture in Britain and how widespread and how long MRSA st398 has really been present in British pigs.

This crisis is not going away.

You can get the full Danish TV transcript here.

105 people were in July infected with the multidrug-resistant swine bacterium MRSA CC398.

PM. 11:39

In July, 105 people infected with the multidrug-resistant swine bacterium MRSA CC398, which is the highest number ever. The Danish Pig Producers fed up. 

By Kevin Ahrens Nielsen

The multidrug-resistant swine bacterium MRSA CC398 continues to spread in the Danish pig farms.

In July alone were 105 Danes infected with the bacterium that has cost five Danes life.

These are fed up with Danish Pig Producers.

- I'm as tired of it is an increase. I'd much rather have seen that we had got it slowed down, says Henrik Mortensen, President of Danish Pig Producers.

Do what they can

It is estimated that up to 70 per cent of Danish pig herds are infected with swine bacterium MRSA CC398. The bacterium has since started to transmission from human to human.

In Danish Pig Producers do according to Henrik Mortensen everything they can to keep the infectious bacteria in barns.

- It is not right that we have an epidemic. There must of course be no doubt that we will do what we can to keep it inside the pigs.

The first I rub, that's my family.


- We are working daily to reduce the consumption of antibiotics, and
we must continue...

... But we have to treat sick animals. The vet comes and prescribes and say here are some animals that are sick, and those we must deal with in this way. These are the options we have with veterinarians and authorities.

Consumption of antibiotics in the Danish pig farms peaked in 2009, years after consumption decreased, but in 2012 and 2013, it increased again.

In 2014, the figures show that the use of antibiotics is largely the same as last year. Although there have been a marginal decline of 0.4 percent.