Superbug MRSA found in hedgehogs in Finland

Findings reveal 10 per cent of hedgehogs had at least one MRSA producing strain, Thomas Kingsley reports

Research found MRSA strains present in hedgehogs (AFP via Getty Images)

A highly transmissible strain of the antibiotic-resistant superbug MRSA has been found in hedgehogs in Finland, according to a study.

Researchers from the University of Helsinki said that the findings suggest a spillover of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria and genes to urban wildlife and should be closely monitored to limit the global emergence of novel antimicrobial resistance traits in the future.

Superbugs such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are antibiotic-resistant bacteria for which there are limited or no treatments. European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are common wild species living in urban areas, and were recently found to be a natural reservoir of MRSA.