A world pandemic could occur at any time. Indeed, the chance of it happening eventually is assured. With the efficacy of antibiotics weakening there could be no treatment. Science could take months or years to find a "cure".
Poultry is seen as the real danger though other animals close to Man are also a threat. A staph strain with high resistance has been identified in Australian pigs. No antibiotics have knocked out the "bug". The methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has migrated here from Europe, Singapore or Canada.
It is a bit of a mystery how the strain got into Australia. No live importing of pigs is allowed. Could the strain still be in pig carcasses used in the canned meat industry? The only other possibility is human carriers. Staph can live in the nasal passages of people for more than two weeks.
If a human carrier gets close to an animal the staph can be breathed in and the animal becomes sick. Horses are also a "weak link". They can be brought into Australia quite easily. They can be carriers as well. Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands have had MRSA ST398 related outbreaks in people already.
Health by Ty Buchanan
