In a study By John Hopkins they found out that people who live near pig farms, or farms that use pig feces as fertilizer, are more likely to get infections from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, commonly known as MRSA.
Researchers looked at the records of nearly 3,000 patients infected with MRSA and 3,000 controls, mapping out their proximity to swine operations and fertilized fields. What they found was a “significant” association between proximity to swine manure and rates of MRSA infection, according to Joan Casey, an environmental health scientist at John Hopkins.
They found that living close to pigs or their manure accounted for increased risks of 30 percent for healthcare-associated MRSA, 38 percent for community-associated MRSA, and 37 percent for skin and soft-tissue cases.
MRSA can colonize on the skin or inside the nostrils of humans without infecting them, but if those colonies are able to enter the body, such as through a wound, they can cause severe illness.
MRSA and other viruses can be carried by dust through the air in agricultural areas. It can also get into the water near pig farms.
It might be wise if we would disinfect all animal manure before we use it as fertilizer.
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