Evaluation of MRSA-occurrence in Swedish pig production

During 2025, an EU-wide baseline study is underway, sampling slaughter pigs at slaughterhouses. Preliminary results show that MRSA is isolated in varying degrees in samples from the participating slaughterhouse.
To assess if the overall occurrence in the baseline study truly reflects the occurrence in the Swedish pig production, additional sampling on farms is necessary.
Samples (environment, suckling piglets and growers) will be collected at 100 farms and cultured with sensitive methods. MRSA isolates will be stored and further investigated in the future.
Knowledge about occurrences at farm level is important for interpreting and communicating the EU-study and as basis for decision-making on how the Swedish pig industry could counteract the occurrence of MRSA in pig production. These investigations must be carried out as soon as possible, so that the results from this farm study can be compared with the ongoing EU-study. This will be lost if samples on farm cannot be collected now.