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Microbial drug resistance (Larchmont, N.Y.)2011; 17(3); 471-478; doi: 10.1089/mdr.2010.0188

Evolution of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in horses and colonized personnel in an equine clinic between 2005 and 2010.

Abstract: A total of 70 Staphylococcus aureus isolates from postoperative infections in hospitalized horses were isolated between January 2005 and January 2011. Among them, 12 isolates were methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), 18 were borderline-oxacillin-resistant S. aureus (BORSA), and 40 were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). During the same period, the equine clinic personnel were screened for nasal carriage of BORSA and MRSA. Genotyping revealed that BORSA ST1(MLST)-t2863(spa) isolates were responsible for most equine infections and were the main isolates found in colonized members of the personnel between 2005 and 2007, and that in 2007, MRSA ST398-t011-IVa(SCCmec) emerged in infection sites and personnel, replacing BORSA. Besides decreased susceptibility to oxacillin, all MRSA and BORSA of these two major clonal lineages displayed resistance to gentamicin and kanamycin conferred by the aac(6')-Ie-aph(2')-Ia gene and to trimethoprim conferred by dfr(K) in MRSA and dfr(A) in BORSA. All MRSA had additional resistance to tetracycline conferred by tet(M), whereas BORSA generally also display resistance to streptomycin conferred by str. The number of hospital-acquired MRSA infections in horses could be limited after the introduction of basic hygiene measures and personnel decolonization. Two MRSA carriers could not be decolonized using mupirocin, and a year after decolonization, additional members were recolonized with MRSA. Hygiene measures should, therefore, be maintained to limit the transmission of S. aureus between personnel and horses.
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Publication Date: 2011-08-31 PubMed ID: 21875361DOI: 10.1089/mdr.2010.0188Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research examined the evolution of multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections in horses at an equine clinic from 2005-2010. 70 S. aureus strains were analyzed from post-surgery infections in the horses, 40 of those were methicillin-resistant (MRSA), 18 were borderline-oxacillin-resistant (BORSA), and remaining 12 were methicillin-susceptible (MSSA). Staff at the clinic were also tested for S. aureus carriage. The study found that a shift in infection and nasal carriage in both horses and staff from BORSA to MRSA, particularly after 2007. Hygiene measures and staff decolonization effectively limited hospital-acquired MRSA infections.

Method and Results

  • From January 2005 to 2011, the researchers isolated 70 S. aureus from horses who had undergone surgery. They categorized these isolates into three groups — methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA), borderline-oxacillin-resistant S. aureus (BORSA), and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA).
  • The researchers also tested the nasal passages of the equine clinic staff for carriage of MRSA and BORSA.
  • Using genotyping, they found that BORSA ST1(MLST)-t2863(spa) isolates were the most responsible for infections in horses and were also present in a significant number of staff members between 2005 and 2007.
  • From 2007, the MRSA ST398-t011-IVa(SCCmec) strain emerged in both the horses and clinic staff, displacing the BORSA strains.

Additional findings

  • All BORSA and MRSA isolates registered a reduced susceptibility to oxacillin and, in addition, were found to be resistant to other antibiotics such as kanamycin and gentamicin. The resistance was attributed to the aac(6′)-Ie-aph(2′)-Ia gene.
  • MRSA strains displayed resistance to trimethoprim due to the dfr(K) gene, whereas in BORSA, this resistance was linked to the dfr(A) gene.
  • Moreover, all MRSA isolates also showed resistance to tetracycline due to the tet(M) gene. BORSA isolates typically showed resistance to streptomycin as well.

Management of the infection

  • Introduction of basic hygiene measures and decolonization of personnel greatly reduced the number of hospital-acquired MRSA infections in horses.
  • Two personnel remained MRSA-positive despite decolonization efforts with mupirocin. These staff members and a few others were recolonized with MRSA after a year.
  • The researchers concluded hygiene measures should be continued in order to minimize the transmission of MRSA and BORSA between staff and horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Sieber S, Gerber V, Jandova V, Rossano A, Evison JM, Perreten V. (2011). Evolution of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in horses and colonized personnel in an equine clinic between 2005 and 2010. Microb Drug Resist, 17(3), 471-478. https://doi.org/10.1089/mdr.2010.0188

Publication

Microbial drug resistance (Larchmont, N.Y.)
ISSN: 1931-8448
NlmUniqueID: 9508567
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 17
Issue: 3
Pages: 471-478

Researcher Affiliations

Sieber, Sandra
  • Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Gerber, Vinzenz
    Jandova, Vendula
      Rossano, Alexandra
        Evison, John Marc
          Perreten, Vincent

            MeSH Terms

            • Animals
            • Bacterial Typing Techniques / methods
            • Bacterial Typing Techniques / veterinary
            • Cross Infection / microbiology
            • Cross Infection / veterinary
            • Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial / genetics
            • Genotype
            • Horse Diseases / microbiology
            • Horses
            • Hospitals, Animal
            • Humans
            • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / genetics
            • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / isolation & purification
            • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / methods
            • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / veterinary
            • Oxacillin / pharmacology
            • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
            • Staphylococcal Infections / veterinary
            • Staphylococcus aureus / genetics

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