MRSA strains found in pork sold at Asda and Sainsbury’s

Tests conducted at the University of Cambridge have found strains of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria in pork sold at two supermarkets in the UK.

Scientists have urged the government to enforce stringent control on the movement of livestock into the country from Europe.

City University London professor Tim Lang was quoted by The Guardian as saying: “If we don’t have tight infection control and we don’t try to control the movement of live animals, infection can spread.

“The British are up in arms about the movement of people, but the EU also has a large movement of animals. We need biosecurity, we need to tighten up this livestock movement. You may get cheap meat, but in the long term it’s going to add to your public health problems.”

MRSA CC398 is a strain of MRSA, which kills about 300 people in UK hospitals every year.

Though the strain is not as dangerous as MRSA, it is still resistant to many antibiotics and can cause serious illness.

The tests were carried out on 97 samples at the University of Cambridge.

The meat sold in two supermarkets, Asda and Sainsbury’s, contained the strains of MRSA.

MRSA is usually passed between live animals, and continues to exist even after animals are slaughtered.

It can be transferred to humans as a result of poor hygiene practices or if meat is not cooked properly.