UMASH Project Director, Dr. Peter Davies BVSc, PhD, Professor, Swine Health and Production, Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, presented at this year’s “3rd ASM-ESCMID Conference on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococci in Animals: Veterinary and Public Health Implications”; November 4-7, 2013 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This conference is a collaboration of the American Society of Microbiology and the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Representatives from public health, medical and veterinary sectors, and scientists investigating epidemiology, diagnostic testing, genomics, virulence, host-specificity, evolution, prevention, treatment and control of MRSA and MRSP in animals came together in Denmark. Using a One Health approach, the participants share cutting-edge research.  “The main goal is to integrate complementary disciplines and sectors to develop new research ideas and control strategies that will mitigate the spread of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in the animal population and reduce the risk of zoonotic transmission to the human population.”

Dr. Davies presented on “MSSA spa types in US pigs and swine veterinarians correspond with MRSA spa types reported globally in swine” and “The evaluation of molecular epidemiological relatedness within ST5 Staphylococcus aureus isolated from swine veterinarians in the USA.”