Staph infection outbreak at a San Diego zoo puts renewed emphasis on zoo hygiene
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Zookeepers across the country are bolstering hygiene practices after an outbreak of drug-resistant staph infections swapped between caretakers and a sick baby elephant at the San Diego Zoo.
At least 20 zoo workers turned up with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin lesions last year, but only after a caretaker infected the elephant calf being hand-raised because her mother couldn’t care for her.
It’s the first known incidence of MRSA in a zoo elephant and the first known transmission of the potentially lethal bug from zoo animals to humans, according to an investigation released this week by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The incident underscores worries about community-acquired strains of MRSA, which can be transmitted across species, said Dr. Kimberly May, a veterinarian and spokeswoman for the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“It’s a big public health concern for us,” May said. “It’s been recognized that humans can give it to animals and animals can give it back to us. It’s a pretty scary cycle when you’re talking about MRSA.”
Animal health experts are reviewing hygiene procedures ranging from handwashing to protective equipment, said Dr. Paul Boyle, senior vice president for conservation and education for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
“It’s a particularly high profile organism,” he said. “It makes you say ‘Jeepers, what’s going on?’”
Sanitation is a constant concern at zoos, where staff members work to protect both humans and animals, Boyle said. “We’re visiting the process that already occurs,” he said...
At least 20 zoo workers turned up with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin lesions last year, but only after a caretaker infected the elephant calf being hand-raised because her mother couldn’t care for her.
It’s the first known incidence of MRSA in a zoo elephant and the first known transmission of the potentially lethal bug from zoo animals to humans, according to an investigation released this week by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The incident underscores worries about community-acquired strains of MRSA, which can be transmitted across species, said Dr. Kimberly May, a veterinarian and spokeswoman for the American Veterinary Medical Association.
“It’s a big public health concern for us,” May said. “It’s been recognized that humans can give it to animals and animals can give it back to us. It’s a pretty scary cycle when you’re talking about MRSA.”
Animal health experts are reviewing hygiene procedures ranging from handwashing to protective equipment, said Dr. Paul Boyle, senior vice president for conservation and education for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
“It’s a particularly high profile organism,” he said. “It makes you say ‘Jeepers, what’s going on?’”
Sanitation is a constant concern at zoos, where staff members work to protect both humans and animals, Boyle said. “We’re visiting the process that already occurs,” he said...
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