MRSA gets piggyback from livestock to humans

I’ve written an article for the Economist about a new strain of the antibiotic-resistant “superbug” MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) that infects large numbers of farm pigs and can jump into humans.

The strain was first found in pig farms in the Netherlands and may be picking up new resistances from their porcine hosts because of the large amounts of antibiotics used to medicate livestock.

The piece is in the Science and Technology section of the November 29th issue of the Economist (out in the UK tomorrow) but you can already read it online. I’m pretty excited about this – it’s certainly the most prestigious magazine I’ve had the opportunity to write for.