Environmental methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a veterinary teaching hospital during a nonoutbreak period.

The research article investigates the existence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in a large veterinary hospital during a period when there wasn’t a known outbreak of the bacteria. The study concluded that MRSA was present in the hospital environment even in non-outbreak periods, with the highest prevalence in the small animal section.

Research Design and Methodology

• The study was a cross-sectional examination aimed at discovering the prevalence of MRSA on surfaces frequently touched by both animals and humans at a large veterinary hospital, during a time when no outbreak was reported.
• A total of 156 samples were gathered using Swiffers or premoistened swabs from the small animal, equine, and food animal sections.
• MRSA was identified and isolated using standard microbiology procedures and the presence of the mecA gene was employed for detection.
• The type of MRSA isolates were determined by their Staphylococcal chromosome cassette mec (SCCmec) typing and their pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profile.

Findings and Conclusions

• The study found MRSA in 12% (19 out of 157) of sampled hospital environments.
• The presence of MRSA was most prevalent in the small animal section at 16%, followed by the equine section at 4%, and no MRSA was detected in the food animal section.
• The analysis of the molecular epidemiology suggested a diverse population of MRSA isolates are circulating in the hospital. However, there were instances where the same MRSA clone was found on multiple unrelated locations/surfaces.
• There was no significant difference observed between animal and human contact surfaces in terms of prevalence and type of isolates. Surfaces touched by multiple people (doors) and patients (carts) were frequently contaminated with MRSA.
• The results indicate that MRSA is present in veterinary hospital environments even during periods when there are no reported outbreaks.

Implications and Recommendations

• This study identifies specific surfaces in a veterinary environment that need to be targeted when designing and executing infection control programs.
• The prevalence of MRSA on frequently touched surfaces, even during non-outbreak periods, raises important considerations for infection control practices in veterinary hospitals.
• More comprehensive and periodic disinfection routines, especially for high-touch surfaces, could possibly reduce the risk of MRSA transmissions in veterinary settings.