Volume 15, Number 7—July 2009
Dispatch
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 in Swine Farm Personnel, Belgium
Olivier Denis
, Carl Suetens1, Marie Hallin, Boudewijn Catry, Ilse Ramboer, Marc Dispas, Glenda Willems, Bart Gordts, Patrick Butaye, and Marc J. Struelens
, Carl Suetens1, Marie Hallin, Boudewijn Catry, Ilse Ramboer, Marc Dispas, Glenda Willems, Bart Gordts, Patrick Butaye, and Marc J. StruelensTable 1
Risk factors for carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among 127 persons on 49 pig farms, Belgium, 2007*
| Variable | No. carriers | No. noncarriers | aOR (95% CI) | p value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRSA prevalence among pigs, % | ||||
| 0 | 1 | 32 | 1 | NA |
| 1–49 | 15 | 17 | 50.7 (9.1–283.6) | <0.001 |
| 50–84 | 16 | 17 | 90.3 (12.3–664.1) | <0.001 |
| >85 |
16 |
13 |
85.2 (14.5–501.8) |
<0.001 |
| Occupation, pig contact | ||||
| No pig contact | 4 | 23 | 1 | NA |
| Other, >1 time/week | 9 | 16 | 2.7 (0.4–17.5) | 0.543 |
| Pig farmer, >1 time/week |
35 |
40 |
14.4 (3.7–55.5) |
<0.001 |
| Contact >1/week with | ||||
| Dogs | 16 | 4 | 19.8 (4.3–91.2) | <0.001 |
| Horses |
7 |
4 |
4.8 (1.6–14.2) |
0.006 |
| Use of any barrier precaution† | 39 | 59 | 8.0 (1.8–36.3) | 0.008 |
*Multivariate analysis. aOR, adjusted odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; NA, not applicable.
†Protective clothing, e.g., apron, gloves, mask.
