This project will explore whether intensive livestock production practices contribute to the evolution and increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Using field studies and genetic typing of Staphylococcus bacteria, principles for the emergence and dissemination of livestock-associated MRSA will be established, and models will be developed to explore transmission between food animal production systems, the environment, workers and communities. This project will build on existing partnerships with community groups in rural North Carolina and establish protocols and databases important for advancement of global scientific knowledge about MRSA.
Models developed during this research will be useful to estimate the probability of transfer of MRSA from a farm into surrounding ecosystems and communities based on operational practices (e.g., antibiotic use, animal density, waste management systems). Outputs from the models could also help identify the most effective interventions to reduce transfer of MRSA into ecosystems and communities. Ultimately, these results will help evaluate whether modern livestock production systems affect the emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria, and will provide important new insights into management practices that could impact the ecology of MRSA and other antibiotic resistant bacteria.
