Volume 12, Number 12—December 2006
Research
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Veterinary Doctors and Students, the Netherlands
Mireille Wulf*
, Arie van Nes†, Andrea Eikelenboom-Boskamp*, Janneke de Vries*, Willem Melchers*, Corné H. Klaassen‡, and Andreas Voss*‡
, Arie van Nes†, Andrea Eikelenboom-Boskamp*, Janneke de Vries*, Willem Melchers*, Corné H. Klaassen‡, and Andreas Voss*‡Table 1
Main characteristics of veterinary students and veterinarians, the Netherlands
| Characteristics | Veterinary students, n = 80, no. (%) | Veterinarians, n = 99, no. (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age (range), y | 26 (23–41) | 43 (27–60) |
| Male | 24 (30) | 83 (83) |
| Professional contact limited to livestock | 49 (63) | 72 (73) |
| Professional contact limited to companion animals | 27 (32) | 0 |
| Professional contact with livestock and companion animals | 4 (5) | 27 (27) |
| Contact with cows | 48 (60)* | 83 (83)† |
| Contact with pigs | 37 (47) | 72 (72)† |
| Contact with sheep | Not known | 36 (36)† |
| Contact with pets at home | 52 (65) | 81 (81) |
| Risk factors for MRSA carriage‡ | 1 (1.2) | 1 (1)
*Regular contact in past 3 months. *Regular contact in past 3 months. |
*Regular contact in past 3 months.
†Regular part of practice and/or regular contact in the past 6 months.
‡MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
