Spread of LA-MRSA CC398 in pigs and humans in Denmark

The prevalence of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clonal complex 398 (LA-MRSA CC398) on Danish pig farms has increased from = 3.5% in 2008 to > 60% in 2014, and this increase coincided with an increased number of infections in humans. To investigate the population structure and dynamics of this recent epidemic, a comprehensive collection of LA-MRSA CC398 isolates from Danish pig farms and people having livestock contact was subjected to whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatic analyses.