Scientists from the University of Cambridge have found a potentially lethal superbug inside supermarket sausages for the first time after conducting tests on sausages and minced pork obtained from supermarkets in the UK.

Since the bug has built up a resistance to antibiotics, it can prove fatal to patients although the MRSA strain is harmless as long as the sausage is well cooked.

Dr Mark Holmes, from the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge said, "This is the first time that MRSA has been detected in retail meat products in the UK. It could cause health problems if it infects someone in poor health or gets into a wound".

Doctor Holmes warned the superbug can escape from the farmyard and into human populations easily. He added that this suggests that MRSA is established in UK's pig farms and provides a possible route of transmission from livestock. However, those in direct contact with pigs are at risk.

The researchers analyzed a total of 103 (52 pork and 51 chicken) pre-packaged fresh meat products from supermarkets in five different locations across England.

After freezing the meat products at -20°C, they were sent to the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge for testing.

After defrosting them, the researchers disinfected the exterior packaging before removing the meat. And then tested a 10g sample of meat from each packet and screened for MRSA. They found that two of the pork samples, one from sausages and other from minced pork tested positive for MRSA.

The research was funded by the Medical Research Council, with additional support from the Alliance to Save our Antibiotics. The results of the study are published in the online journal Eurosurveillance.