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MRSA-PREVENT: Control of MRSA in the pig nasal microbiome to prevent transmission to humans

Projectomschrijving

MRSA-PREVENT richt zich op het verminderen van de overdracht van de methicilline-resistente Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterie van varkens naar mensen. Mensen op varkensbedrijven lopen het risico om besmet te worden met deze resistentie bacterie. In ziekenhuizen wordt door het actieve ‘search en destroy’ beleid de insleep van MRSA voorkomen maar de kosten hiervan zijn hoog.

In dit project wordt gezocht, met hightech moleculaire technieken, of bacteriën die van nature bij varkens in de neus voorkomen de groei van MRSA kunnen remmen. Modelmatig wordt onderzocht of deze bacteriën ‘kolonisatie resistentie’ geven zodat MRSA zich niet meer kan vestigen in de varkens neus. Bij een aantal varkens bedrijven wordt onderzocht hoeveel deze toediening het risico voor overdracht van MRSA naar mensen beperkt. Dit project is een interdisciplinaire aanpak, waarin artsen, onderzoekers, dierenartsen en veehouders gezamenlijk werken aan het beperken van de overdracht van MRSA van varkens naar mensen.

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Samenvatting van de aanvraag

Livestock-Associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) has emerged in pigs globally, and pig farms act as a reservoir. In the Netherlands, the prevalence of LA-MRSA in slaughter pigs was 99.5% in 2015. Through exposure to animals and dust, farm workers are at risk for acquiring LA-MRSA. However, in the Netherlands is colonization in the general population and in hospitals very low. Strict infection control measures are implemented in hospitals (‘search and destroy’) to prevent spread of MRSA of people who are at risk of being positive. With the introduction of LA-MRSA, all people working with living pigs and veal calves are considered as risk for being LA-MRSA positive and are included in the ‘search and destroy’ program with quarantine and additional diagnostics. Infections with multidrug-resistant microorganisms, including LA-MRSA are a burden for patients, health care staff, and finances of health care institutions. The recent adaptation of LA-MRSA to humans in Denmark, and the recently observed unexplained cases of LA-MRSA patients in Dutch hospitals, highlight the need to prevent LA-MRSA transmission. At this moment, there are no intervention measures in pig production to reduce LA-MRSA in pigs. In a pilot microbiome study, we identified several bacterial species negatively associated with colonization of LA-MRSA in piglets. These results were similar to a study showing competition of bacteria with S. aureus in the human microbiome. To identify and isolate bacterial strains that will effectively outcompete LA-MRSA when used as a pre-colonization microflora, strain level metagenomics followed by high throughput strain identification will be used. Subsequently these competing strains will be produced and applied nasally as live bacteria in newborn piglets, in order to limit or eradicate LA-MRSA outgrowth in the piglet nasopharynx. Reduction of LA-MRSA colonization will reduce the transmission risk of LA-MRSA from piglets to farm workers through dust. We aim to study the effect of this bacterial inference on transmission of LA-MRSA from pigs to humans by i) identifying competing bacterial species that might be included in a microflora to be used in pigs, ii) studying the efficacy of pre-colonizing piglets, and iii) estimating the risk reduction for LA-MRSA transmission to humans as a result of reduced environmental contamination. In this project, an interdisciplinary group works together with an industrial partner and pig farmers to identify bacterial species that compete with LA-MRSA for production of a microflora that can be administered to pigs for modulation of the nasal microbiome. The outcome of this project will be a novel intervention procedure based on protecting the piglets for colonization with LA-MRSA by competitive exclusion.

Onderwerpen

Kenmerken

Projectnummer:
541002003
Looptijd: 97%
Looptijd: 97 %
2018
2024
Onderdeel van programma:
Gerelateerde subsidieronde:
Projectleider en penvoerder:
dr. B. Duim
Verantwoordelijke organisatie:
Universiteit Utrecht