Bacterial infections in horses: a retrospective study at the University Equine Clinic of Bern.

This research paper details a study on bacterial infections in horses, focusing on the most common types of bacteria and the effectiveness of hygiene measures in preventing infections, specifically at the University Equine Clinic of Bern between 2004 to 2008.

Overview of the Study

• The paper starts by emphasizing the problem of bacterial infections in horses; particularly, complications caused by multi-drug resistant bacteria.
• While it is important that therapies are informed by bacteriological diagnosis for effectiveness, the paper implies that this isn’t always the case.
• The study then aims to examine bacteria results from purulent infections (infections involving pus) in the said equine clinic over a four-year period.

Study Findings

• From the 378 analyzed samples, there were 557 isolates identified.
• The most common bacteria found were Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, and coliforms.
• Particular focus was given to infections brought about by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) ST398, thought to account for many of the common infections, and a non-MRSA, multi-drug resistant S. aureus clone ST1 (BERN100).
• A screening of newly admitted horses revealed that 2.2% of them were carrying MRSA.

Impact of Hygiene Measures

• Once the high occurrence of MRSA was identified, the clinic implemented hygiene measures to try to control and reduce the prevalence of infection.
• It was found that these measures helped to both control an outbreak of MRSA at the clinic and to reduce the number of MRSA infections overall.

In this study, the authors underscore the importance of understanding the sources of bacterial infection in equine treatment, in order to develop appropriate preventative measures and treatments. This study also highlights the need for constant vigilance and implementation of hygiene measures to combat bacterial infections, particularly those caused by multi-drug resistant strains.