TY - JOUR
T1 - Health and health-related quality of life in pig farmers carrying livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
AU - van Cleef, B.A.G.L.
AU - van Benthem, B.H.B.
AU - Verkade, E.J.M.
AU - van Rijen, M.M.L.
AU - Kluytmans-van den Bergh, M.F.Q.
AU - Graveland, H.
AU - Bosch, T.
AU - Verstappen, K.M.H.W.
AU - WAGENAAR, J.A.
AU - Heederik, D.
AU - Kluytmans, J.A.J.W.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - There is limited knowledge about the effect of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) carriage on health-related quality of life (QoL). With this study, we explored whether LA-MRSA causes infections or affects health-related QoL in pig farmers. This prospective cohort study surveyed persons working on 49 farrowing pig farms in The Netherlands for 1 year (2010–2011). On six sampling moments, nasal swabs, environmental samples and questionnaires on activities and infections were collected. At the end of the study year, persons were asked about their QoL using the validated SF-36 and EQ-5D questionnaires. Of 120 persons, 44 (37%) were persistent MRSA carriers. MRSA carriage was not associated with infections, use of antimicrobials, healthcare contact and health-related QoL items in univariate or multivariate analysis, most likely due to the ‘healthy worker effect’. Despite high carriage rates, the impact of LA-MRSA carriage in this population of relatively healthy pig farmers on health and health-related QoL appears limited; more research is needed for confirmation.
AB - There is limited knowledge about the effect of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) carriage on health-related quality of life (QoL). With this study, we explored whether LA-MRSA causes infections or affects health-related QoL in pig farmers. This prospective cohort study surveyed persons working on 49 farrowing pig farms in The Netherlands for 1 year (2010–2011). On six sampling moments, nasal swabs, environmental samples and questionnaires on activities and infections were collected. At the end of the study year, persons were asked about their QoL using the validated SF-36 and EQ-5D questionnaires. Of 120 persons, 44 (37%) were persistent MRSA carriers. MRSA carriage was not associated with infections, use of antimicrobials, healthcare contact and health-related QoL items in univariate or multivariate analysis, most likely due to the ‘healthy worker effect’. Despite high carriage rates, the impact of LA-MRSA carriage in this population of relatively healthy pig farmers on health and health-related QoL appears limited; more research is needed for confirmation.
KW - Infectious disease epidemiology
KW - methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA)
KW - public health
KW - zoonoses
U2 - 10.1017/S0950268815003192
DO - 10.1017/S0950268815003192
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84953341969
SN - 0950-2688
SP - 1774
EP - 1783
JO - Epidemiology and Infection
JF - Epidemiology and Infection
M1 - 144
ER -
