Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be transmitted between pigs and humans on farms. Hence, the reduction of MRSA carriage in pigs could decrease the risk of zoonotic transmission. Recently, straw bedding has been found to significantly reduce MRSA carriage in pigs. The mechanisms behind this effect remain unclear but changes in the nasal microbiome may play a role. In this exploratory study, the nasal microbiota of pigs kept on straw was examined using V1/V2 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Nasal swabs were collected from 13 pigs at six different time points during the course of a full fattening cycle resulting in 74 porcine samples. In addition, straw samples were collected at each time point. Eleven out of 13 pigs were MRSA positive at housing-in. We found a strong temporal pattern in the microbial communities. Both microbial diversity and abundance of Staphylococcus species peaked in week 5 after introduction to the straw stable decreased in week 10, when all pigs turned MRSA-negative, and increased again toward the end of the fattening period. These findings show that the introduction of pigs into a new environment has a huge impact on their nasal microbiota, which might lead to unfavorable conditions for MRSA. Moreover, other Staphylococcus species may play a role in eliminating MRSA carriage. We designed a follow-up study including two different husbandry systems to further assess these effects.

Non-aureus staphylococci (NAS) are ubiquitous bacteria in livestock-associated environments where they may act as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes for pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus. Here, we tested whether housing conditions in pig farms could influence the overall AMR-NAS burden. Two hundred and forty porcine commensal and environmental NAS isolates from three different farm types (conventional, alternative, and organic) were tested for phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility and subjected to whole genome sequencing. Genomic data were analysed regarding species identity and AMR gene carriage. Seventeen different NAS species were identified across all farm types. In contrast to conventional farms, no AMR genes were detectable towards methicillin, aminoglycosides, and phenicols in organic farms. Additionally, AMR genes to macrolides and tetracycline were rare among NAS in organic farms, while such genes were common in conventional husbandries. No differences in AMR detection existed between farm types regarding fosfomycin, lincosamides, fusidic acid, and heavy metal resistance gene presence. The combined data show that husbandry conditions influence the occurrence of resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria in livestock, suggesting that changing husbandry practices may be an appropriate means of limiting the spread of AMR bacteria on farms.

Professional pig husbandry is often associated with a more or less high load of LA-MRSA. Possible risk factors for LA-MRSA colonization in pig herds have already been identified in studies suggesting that housing conditions may affect LA-MRSA prevalence. In Europe, pigs are kept under variety of conditions. The aim of this study is to identify husbandry and housing condition factors that affect colonization with LA-MRSA. 78 pig farms were selected and assigned to three categories according to housing conditions: conventional, alternative and organic. Animal and surface samples were taken and examined for the presence of LA-MRSA at beginning and end of one fattening period per farm. Altogether, a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in colonization with LA-MRSA from beginning to end of the fattening periods in pigs and surfaces can be observed. Alternative farms showed a higher dynamic in the colonization. In organic farms, almost no colonization was found. Influencing housing condition factors that determine LA-MRSA status at the end of the fattening period are the number of pigs in the building, LA-MRSA status at the beginning of fattening period, material of the floor (straw bedding), strictness of black–white separation and antibiotic treatment during the fattening period. For pig farming in general, knowledge and measures to reduce the colonization with LA-MRSA would be important.

In countries with professional pig husbandry in stables, the prevalence of livestock-associated (LA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on farms has remained high or has further increased in recent years. Simple measures to reduce LA-MRSA among pigs have not yet been successfully implemented. The aim of this pilot study is twofold: first, to examine how the LA-MRSA status of LA-MRSA positive fattening pigs at the date of housing changes over the fatting period on straw bedding and, second, whether this change could be influenced by the quality of cleaning and disinfection (C&D). For this purpose, 122 animals are individually tested for LA-MRSA carriage at five sequential time points comparing pigs housed on a farm using straw bedding plus C&D (n = 59) vs. straw bedding plus simple cleaning (n = 63). At the time of housing, all animals in both groups are LA-MRSA positive. This status changes to 0% in the group with simple cleaning until the end of fattening and 28% in the C&D group. LA-MRSA in environmental and air samples is also reduced over the fattening period. The results indicate that keeping pigs on straw might be one way to reduce LA-MRSA during the fattening period with simple cleaning appearing to be more beneficial than C&D. Further investigations are necessary to determine the influencing factors more precisely.

The treatment of infections due to colistin-resistant (Col-E) and carbapenemase-producing (CPE) Enterobacterales challenges clinicians both in human and veterinary medicine. Preventing zoonotic transmission of these multidrug-resistant bacteria is a Public Health priority. This study investigates the prevalence of Col-E and CPE on 81 pig farms in North-West Germany as well as among 138 directly exposed humans working on these farms. Between March 2018 and September 2020, 318 samples of porcine feces were taken using boot swabs. Farm workers provided a stool sample. Both a selective culture-based approach and a molecular detection of colistin (mcr-1 to mcr-5) and carbapenem resistance determinants (blaOXA-48/blaVIM/blaKPC/blaNDM) was used to screen all samples. Isolates from farm workers and farms were compared using core genome multilocus-sequence typing (cgMLST) and plasmid-typing. CPE were cultured neither from porcine feces nor from human stool samples. In one stool sample, blaOXA-48 was detected, but no respective CPE isolate was found. Col-E were found in 18/318 porcine (5.7%) samples from 10/81 (12.3%) farms and 2/138 (1.4%) farmers, respectively. All Col-E isolates were Escherichia coli harboring mcr-1. Both farm workers colonized with Col-E worked on farms where no Col-E were detected in porcine samples. In conclusion, CPE were absent on German pig farms. This supports findings of culture-based national monitoring systems and provides evidence that even when improving the diagnostic sensitivity by using molecular detection techniques in addition to culture, CPE are not prevalent. Col-E were prevalent in porcine feces despite a recent decrease in colistin usage among German livestock and absence of colistin treatments on the sampled farms. Farmers carried Col-E, but zoonotic transmission was not confirmed.

In countries with intensive pig husbandry in stables, the prevalence of livestock-associated (LA) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on such farms has remained high in the last few years or has also further increased. Simple measures to reduce the LA-MRSA among pigs have not yet been successfully implemented. Earlier publications showed a decontamination of LA-MRSA was only possible with great effort. The aim of this study is to determine the suitability of routine cleaning and disinfection (C&D) for adequate LA-MRSA decontamination. For this purpose, at least 115 locations in a piglet-rearing compartment were examined before and after cleaning and disinfection. The sample locations were stratified according to accessibility for pigs and the difficulty of cleaning. The cleaning work was carried out routinely by farm employees, who were not informed about the sampling (single blinded). While before cleaning and disinfection, 85% of the samples from the surfaces were LA-MRSA positive, while only 2% were positive thereafter. All LA-MRSA-positive samples after cleaning and disinfection were outside the animal area. Air samples also showed no LA-MRSA after cleaning and disinfection. Conclusion: In well-managed livestock farms, decontamination of the LA-MRSA barn is quite possible; after C&D no LA-MRSA was detectable at animal height.

Improving biosecurity in intensive livestock production has become an increasingly challenging task. Often, animal hygiene measures are implemented at lower levels than recommended. Therefore, veterinarians and farm advisors look for new approaches to improve their advisory process with farmers. In the current study it has been hypothesized that German pig farmers' big-five measured personality traits might correlate with farms' biosecurity level expressed by a "continuous animal hygiene index" and a "technical animal hygiene index." Hence, comprehensive data on the implementation of more than 100 hygiene measures were collected at farm level from a specific pilot sample of 42 pig farmers from a livestock intensive region in north-western Germany. In addition, big-five personality traits (BFI-S) were measured by self- and other-rating. Inter-rater reliabilities for personality traits indicated expected positive correlations apart from agreeableness (rS = -0.101). Regarding the self-rating, neuroticism was valued lowest ( x¯ = 3.88 ± 1.18) and conscientiousness highest ( x¯ = 5.68 ± 0.70). The animal hygiene indexes revealed medium biosecurity levels on the participating farms. Piglet breeders had a significantly higher value for the "continuous animal hygiene index" ( x¯ = 63.00 ± 9.91%). Personality traits conscientiousness and openness showed correlations with the continuous and the technical animal hygiene index. Depending on the production systems as well as the rating perspectives, correlations varied. For one of the personality traits playing a direct role in social interaction-extraversion-the advisory process might function as a mediating factor. The current results show that clustering of single hygiene measures into indexes in the evaluation of pig farms' biosecurity level might have advantages. The preliminary results from this study should be validated in larger, more representative samples. Furthermore, structured and systematic consideration of personality traits of farmers adds an additional aspect to include individuality of farmers more systematically in complex advisory processes. Interaction of personality traits with characteristics of the advisory process should be further researched and should be included in a much broader socio-political understanding of what is involved in changing practices.