Low-level colonization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in pigs is maintained by slowly evolving, closely related strains in Finnish pig farms

Over the past two decades, livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) has become widely prevalent in pig production in Europe. The carriage status of LA-MRSA is known to vary among individual pigs, but bacterial load in pigs has rarely been studied. We assessed the quantity of LA-MRSA in nasal and skin samples of pigs and investigated the genetic diversity of the strains together with sequenced strains from national surveillance and pathology samples from the Finnish Food Authority. On two farms with assumed MRSA-positive status, farm 1 and farm 2, 10 healthy pigs were sampled three times during 2 weeks from the nares and skin (study A). On farm 1, 54 additional pigs were sampled and from confirmed MRSA-positive animals, 10 were randomly selected and transported to a clean, controlled environment for further sampling (study B). From the samples taken on farms 1 and 2 and in the controlled environment, MRSA was isolated both by direct plating and enrichment on selective media. spa types, multilocus sequence types, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec types, resistance and virulence genes were determined. Core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) analysis was performed, including the sequences deriving from the surveillance/pathology samples from the Finnish Food Authority.Peer reviewe

Antimicrobial use, biosecurity, herd characteristics, and antimicrobial resistance in indicator Escherichia coli in ten Finnish pig farms

We investigated connections between antimicrobial use (AMU), biosecurity, and the numbers of pigs and staff in ten Finnish farrow-to-finish herds. Data on AMU in each herd were collected for 12 months. AMU was quantified as treatment incidences per 1000 days at risk (TI) using the consensus defined daily dose calculation. Biosecurity was scored using the Biocheck.UGent T system. We also examined antimicrobial resistance patterns of indicator E. coli isolated from faeces of selected pigs. In each herd, two groups of five pigs were formed: 1) antimicrobial treatment group (ANT: at least one pig in the litter was identified as sick and treated with antimicrobials) and 2) non-antimicrobial treatment group (NON: the litter was not medicated). Faecal samples were taken from these pigs at 5 and 22 weeks of age, cultured, and indicator E. coli isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibilities. The AMU varied considerably between the herds. Altogether, most of the antimicrobial treatment courses were assigned to weaned piglets. When AMU was quantified as TIs, suckling piglets had the highest TI (mean 46.6), which was significantly higher (P 0.05). We found few connections: enhanced external biosecurity levels found in the large herds co-occurred with lower use of antimicrobials and herds with low biosecurity scores - especially in the internal subcategories - appeared to have higher proportions of resistant isolates. Conclusively, we suggest that enhancing internal biosecurity might contribute to a reduction in the spreading of antimicrobial resistance in pig herds.Peer reviewe

FINRES-Vet 2021 : Finnish Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Consumption of Antimicrobial Agents

Authors and institutions participating in making the FINRES-Vet report: Finnish Food Authority: Suvi Nykäsenoja, Satu Olkkola, Marie Verkola, Mia Biström, Thomas Grönthal, Tiina Autio, Liisa Kaartinen, Mirja Raunio-Saarnisto Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea: Katariina Kivilahti-Mäntylä, Tita-Maria Muhonen Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki: Katarina EskolaSales of veterinary antibiotics turned to a 5% increase in 2021. The result, however, was the second lowest since the monitoring began. The majority of overall sales consisted of products for individual treatment and the proportion of products for group treatment was roughly over a quarter. The biggest increase in sales was noted for orally administered sulfa-trimethoprim-combination and is partly explained by the increased manufacture of medicated feed for fur animals. Increased sales were also noted for antibiotic tablets for companion animals. Injectable penicillin continued to be the most sold veterinary antibiotic. Sales of critically important antibiotics (HPCIA, WHO) for treatment of animals decreased further and remained very low. The antibiotic resistance situation in bacteria from animals and food has remained relatively good in Finland. However, in certain bacterial species resistance was detected in moderate or high levels. Therefore, the need remains to further emphasise the preventive measures and prudent use of antibiotics. It is important to follow the Finnish recommendations for the use of antimicrobials in animals. Among salmonella from food-producing animals and campylobacter from broilers, resistance levels were low. Since 2014, the proportions of fluoroquinolone and tetracycline resistant broiler campylobacter isolates have varied. Among porcine campylobacter, fluoroquinolone resistance has increased. Resistance situation among indicator E. coli from pigs has remained good. The prevalence of ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria in slaughtered pigs increased in 2021 while no ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria were detected in pork and beef at retail. MRSA bacteria were detected more than previously in fresh pork at retail. The resistance situation among pathogenic bacteria isolated from food-producing animals remained similar to 2020. Resistance was overall low in bovine and porcine respiratory pathogens as well as in pathogens isolated from broilers. Resistance was still detected most in enterotoxigenic E. coli from pigs. Among bacteria isolated from companion animals, the changes in resistance situation were mostly small. The proportion of canine E. coli strains resistant to third-generation cephalosporins was the lowest since the start of the monitoring

FINRES-Vet 2018 : Finnish Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring and Consumption of Antimicrobial Agents

Consumption of veterinary antimicrobials in food-producing animal species in Finland is low and in recent years, has decreased further. Drop is noted in sales of almost all antimicrobial classes. Particularly sales of orally administered products have decreased. Sales of tablets intended to companion animals has almost halved during this decade. Majority, two thirds, of all antimicrobial products sold in 2018 was for treatment of individual animals and the remaining third products applicable for group treatment. Narrow spectrum penicillin G was the most used antimicrobial for animals and the proportion of highest priority critically important antimicrobials (HPCIA) was very low. The antimicrobial resistance situation in bacteria from animals and food has remained relatively good in Finland. However, in certain bacteria resistance was detected in moderate or high levels. Therefore, there is a need to further emphasise the preventive measures and prudent use of antimicrobials. It is important to follow the Finnish recommendations for the use of antimicrobials in animals. Among salmonella and campylobacter isolated from Finnish food-producing animals, resistance levels were mainly low. For the first time in Finland, multidrug resistant S. Kentucky was isolated from cattle in 2018. From 2014, the occurrence of fluoroquinolone and tetracycline resistance in campylobacter from broilers have varied. The occurrence of fluoroquinolone resistance in indicator E. coli has increased although the resistance is still low. Among pathogenic bacteria isolated from food-producing animals the most notifiable change was the worsening of resistance in some bovine respiratory disease pathogens. In other pathogens from food-producing animals the resistance situation remained similar as in previous years. The proportion of resistant bacterial isolates from companion animals and horses decreased for nearly all antimicrobials. However, the proportion of resistant isolates is still high for some antimicrobials. ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria were still encountered in broilers and broiler meat; prevalence of these bacteria in broiler meat was somewhat lower in 2018 compared to 2016

Rakkaudesta lajiin -Cheerleading ja ensiapu

Cheerleading on vauhdikas ja monipuolinen urheilulaji, jota on harrastettu maassamme jo 1980-luvulta lähtien saavuttaen menestystä myös ulkomailla. Lajissa yhdistyvät niin tanssi kuin akrobatia, nostot ja pyramidit sekä heitot, kannustushuudot ja hypyt. Laji on Suomessa kovassa kasvussa ja kehittyvä kilpaurheilulaji, jonka seurauksena myös tapaturmariskit kasvavat. Toiminnallisen opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli järjestää ensiapukoulutus Seinäjoen Silver Sharks – seuran kilpacheerleading –valmentajille ja seuratoimijoille. Ensiapukoulutuksissa oli tarkoituksena opettaa cheerleadingissa esiintyviä yleisimpiä urheiluvammoja ja –tapaturmia sekä ensiapumenetelmiä. Lisäksi tarkoituksenani oli kehittyä opetuksen suunnittelussa ja toteuttamisessa, jota voin hyödyntää niin tulevana terveydenhoitajana kuin kilpacheerleading-valmentajana. Ensiapukoulutuksen suunnittelussa perehdyin ohjaukseen ja opettamiseen liittyvään teoriaan. Valitsin ensiapukoulutuksen suunnitelman pohjaksi Engeströmin näkemyksen opettamisesta. Ensiapukoulutuksen toteutuksesta keräsin osallistujilta palautetta palautelomakkeen avulla. Ensiapukoulutukset toteutettiin kahtena päivänä Seinäjoella joulukuussa 2013. Ensiapukoulutukset olivat sisällöiltään samanlaiset ja kestoiltaan 4 tuntia. Huolellisen valmistelun ja tarkan suunnittelun avulla ensiapukoulutukset onnistuivat erinomaisesti. Palautteiden (N=15) perusteella ensiapukoulutukset koettiin tarpeellisiksi. Myös minun osaamiseni koettiin hyväksi ja päteväksi. Palautteiden mukaan olin onnistunut motivoimaan osallistujat oppimaan tärkeät aiheet ja kyennyt tuomaan opetettavat aiheet konkreettisesti lähelle cheerleadingia. Ensiapukoulutuksien jälkeen kehotin Silver Sharks –seuraa ja ensiapukoulutukseen osallistuvia kertaamaan ensiaputaitoja vähintään kahden vuoden välein. Lisäksi lajissa tapahtuvien urheiluvammojen ja –tapaturmien tilastoiminen voisi edistää lajin turvallisuuden kehittymistä. Ensiapukoulutuksien sisältöä voisi myös kehittää ja laajentaa aiheita lisäämällä esimerkiksi rasitusvammat, joita lajissa esiintyy valitettavan paljon. Lisäksi ensiapukoulutukset voisivat kestoiltaan olla paljon pidempiä. Ensiapukoulutuksiin voisi myös lisätä yhteistyötä Suomen Punaisen Ristin kanssa ja lisätä kokonaisuuteen heidän järjestämä hätäensiapukoulutus.Cheerleading Whit Love – Cheerleading and First Aid Cheerleading is a speedy and versatile sport, and has been popular in Finland since 1980, garnering success even abroad. It combines dance, acrobatics, lifts, pyramids, throws, cheers and jumps. In Finland cheerleading is a growing and developing competitive sport. Because of this, the risk of cheerleading-related accidents has also increased. The purpose of this functional thesis was to organize two first-aid courses for the coaches and operators of the Silver Sharks cheerleading team in Seinäjoki. The purpose of the first-aid courses was to teach about the most common injuries and accidents in cheerleading as well as the relevant first-aid methods. My other purpose was to develop my own skills in planning and realization of education, of which I could benefit in the future as a health nurse and cheerleading coach. While planning the first-aid courses, I familiarized myself with the theory of instructing and teaching. I chose the Engeström’s theory of teaching for the basis of planning the first-aid courses. I collected feedback of the first-aid courses from the participants with feedback forms. The first-aid courses were carried out over the course of two days in December 2013 in Seinäjoki. Both courses included the same topics and took four hours. With careful preparation and pedantic planning, both first-aid courses succeeded excellently. Based on the given feedback (N=15), the first-aid courses were considered necessary. In addition, my knowledge was deemed good and qualified. The feedback indicated that I had succeeded in motivating the participants to learn the important topics, and I had been able to tie the topics to cheerleading in a concrete way. After the first-aid courses, I recommended the Silver Sharks team and the participants to repeat the skills of first-aid at least every other year. Recording statistics of the injuries and accidents that happen in cheerleading could develop the safety of the sport. Also, the content of first-aid education could be developed and the topics could be expanded for example by including repetitive strain injuries, which are seen regrettably often. In addition, first-aid courses could be lengthier and carried out in cooperation with the Finnish Red Cross and their emergency first-aid courses

Seri-tukikeskuksen työhyvinvoinnin tukemisen suunnitelma. HUS Seri-tukikeskuksen työntekijöiden työhyvinvoinnin lähtökohdat

Seri- tukikeskus on Helsingin Naistenklinikalla toimiva tukikeskus, joka tarjoaa kokonaisvaltaista hoitoa seksuaalisen väkivallan uhriksi joutuneille. Naistenklinikka on osa Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiiriä eli HUS:ia. Tässä kehittämistyössä laadittiin työhyvinvoinnin tukemisen suunnitelma HUS Seri-tukikeskukselle. Seri-tukikeskus on perustettu vuonna 2017 ja on lähivuosina laajenemassa muualle Suomeen. Tämän kehittämistyön aihe oli työelämälähtöinen. HUS Seri-tukikeskuksen toiminnan aloittamisesta on kulunut kaksi vuotta ja tämän vuoksi työhyvinvoinnin tukemisen suunnitelma oli tärkeä tehdä nyt, henkisesti kuormittavassa työssä työskentelevälle työyhteisölle. Työhyvinvoinnin tukemisen suunnitelma laadittiin yhteistyössä Seri-tukikeskuksen työntekijöiden kanssa. Seri-tukikeskuksen työntekijöille lähetettiin työhyvinvoinnin kysely tammikuussa 2019 ja helmikuussa 2019 toteutettiin kehittämistyön toiminnallinen osuus työyhteisön kehittämispäivässä. Kehittämispäivässä järjestettiin Learning cafe, Rauramon työhyvinvoinnin portaat-mallia mukaillen. Toiminnallisesta osuudesta sekä kyselystä saadun tiedon pohjalta esiin nousi viisi eri teemaa, joihin työhyvinvoinnin tukemisen suunnitelma laadittiin. Nämä viisi teemaa olivat: 1) työkyvyn ylläpitäminen ja kehittäminen, 2) esimiehen tuen ja kannustuksen lisääminen, 3) tiedotus, 4) yhteistyön kehittäminen, 5) työn imun ja motivaation lisääminen ja ylläpitäminen. Jatkossa työhyvinvoinnin suunnitelmaa voi hyödyntää muissa tukikeskuksissa ylläpitäen ja kehittäen työhyvinvointia