Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in horses and horse personnel.
Abstract: Fortunately, MRSA infection and colonization are currently uncommon in veterinary medicine. Nevertheless, the increasing reports of the occurrence of MRSA infection in horses, veterinarians, and equine personnel dictate that serious consideration be given to the control of this pathogen in veterinary hospitals as well as in the equine community. It is unclear whether extrapolation from human hospitals and people in the community is appropriate; however, given the rapid increase in nosocomial MRSA in human hospitals and the recent shift of certain clones of MRSA into the community, it would be unwise to ignore this potential pathogen. If equine MRSA did, indeed, originate in the human population, complete eradication in the equine population is unlikely, regardless of the prevalence of infection in horses and the intensity of infection control measures, without concurrent eradication of MRSA in the human population, which is surely an impossible feat. Early institution of appropriate surveillance and other infection control measures should be used to attempt to limit the impact of MRSA in veterinary medicine, however. It has been stated, "The time to act is now, before the prevalence of MRSA in the community begins to rise and we end up with 50% of the community strains becoming methicillin-resistant". This statement was directed at control of MRSA in people; however, it is equally relevant in the veterinary context and should receive strong consideration.
Publication Date: 2004-11-03 PubMed ID: 15519821DOI: 10.1016/j.cveq.2004.07.009Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article focuses on the occurrence and control measures of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in horses, veterinarians and equine personnel.
Understanding MRSA in Horses and Horse Personnel
- MRSA or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection and colonization were found to be uncommon in the field of veterinary medicine. However, growing evidence of its occurrence in horses, veterinarians, and horse-related staff justifies the need for serious attention towards controlling this pathogen in veterinary hospitals and the horse community.
- The researchers were uncertain if findings from human hospitals and people could be applied to the veterinary context. Given the quick spread of nosocomial MRSA in human hospitals and specific MRSA strains shifting into the community, ignoring this potential threat would be risky.
Origins and Eradication of MRSA
- If the MRSA infection in horses initially came from humans, complete removal of the pathogen in horse populations would be unlikely. The feasibility of eradication depends on the prevalence of infection in horses, the intensity of infection control measures, and the simultaneous removal of MRSA from the human population — an objective which is presumably unachievable.
Implementing Control Measures and Surveillance
- The research implies that the institution of suitable surveillance and other infection control measures, though they may not entirely eradicate the infection, could limit the impact of MRSA in veterinary medicine.
- An urgent call to action was expressed in one statement in the research, where it advocated averting a situation where the community strains become 50% methicillin-resistant. This statement, originally made in reference to human MRSA control, is highly relevant to the veterinary situation too and should be given due importance for its control in the horse community.
Cite This Article
APA
Weese JS.
(2004).
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in horses and horse personnel.
Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract, 20(3), 601-613.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cveq.2004.07.009 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1. jsweese@uoguelph.ca
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
- Cross Infection / prevention & control
- Cross Infection / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / transmission
- Horses
- Hospitals, Animal / standards
- Humans
- Infection Control / methods
- Methicillin / pharmacology
- Methicillin Resistance
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests / veterinary
- Staphylococcal Infections / drug therapy
- Staphylococcal Infections / transmission
- Staphylococcal Infections / veterinary
- Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
- Zoonoses
References
This article includes 37 references
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Kabir A, Lamichhane B, Habib T, Adams A, El-Sheikh Ali H, Slovis NM, Troedsson MHT, Helmy YA. Antimicrobial Resistance in Equines: A Growing Threat to Horse Health and Beyond-A Comprehensive Review. Antibiotics (Basel) 2024 Jul 29;13(8).
- Sotthibandhu DS, Indoung S, Niwasawat H, Chaiboon J, Sungsorn N, Longji NI, Polya K, Noosak C, Schwarz S, Soimala T. The prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of Staphylococcus spp. on ocular surfaces of fighting bulls (Bos indicus) in Thailand. Vet World 2022 Dec;15(12):2922-2928.
- Khairullah AR, Sudjarwo SA, Effendi MH, Ramandinianto SC, Widodo A, Riwu KHP. A review of horses as a source of spreading livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus to human health. Vet World 2022 Aug;15(8):1906-1915.
- Kaiser-Thom S, Gerber V, Collaud A, Hurni J, Perreten V. Prevalence and WGS-based characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus in the nasal mucosa and pastern of horses with equine pastern dermatitis. BMC Vet Res 2022 Feb 24;18(1):79.
- Sauvé F. Staphylococcal cutaneous infection in horses: From the early 2000s to the present. Can Vet J 2021 Sep;62(9):1001-1006.
- Rojas I, Barquero-Calvo E, van Balen JC, Rojas N, Muñoz-Vargas L, Hoet AE. High Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus at the Largest Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Costa Rica. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017 Sep;17(9):645-653.
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- Steinman A, Masarwa S, Tirosh-Levy S, Gleser D, Kelmer G, Adler A, Carmeli Y, Schwaber MJ. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus spa Type t002 Outbreak in Horses and Staff at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital after Its Presumed Introduction by a Veterinarian. J Clin Microbiol 2015 Sep;53(9):2827-31.
- Barton M, Hawkes M, Moore D, Conly J, Nicolle L, Allen U, Boyd N, Embree J, Van Horne L, Le Saux N, Richardson S, Moore A, Tran D, Waters V, Vearncombe M, Katz K, Weese JS, Embil J, Ofner-Agostini M, Ford-Jones EL. Guidelines for the prevention and management of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A perspective for Canadian health care practitioners. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol 2006 Sep;17 Suppl C(Suppl C):4C-24C.
- Soares Magalhães RJ, Loeffler A, Lindsay J, Rich M, Roberts L, Smith H, Lloyd DH, Pfeiffer DU. Risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in dogs and cats: a case-control study. Vet Res 2010 Sep-Oct;41(5):55.
- Tokateloff N, Manning ST, Weese JS, Campbell J, Rothenburger J, Stephen C, Bastura V, Gow SP, Reid-Smith R. Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in horses in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Can Vet J 2009 Nov;50(11):1177-80.
- Walther B, Monecke S, Ruscher C, Friedrich AW, Ehricht R, Slickers P, Soba A, Wleklinski CG, Wieler LH, Lübke-Becker A. Comparative molecular analysis substantiates zoonotic potential of equine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. J Clin Microbiol 2009 Mar;47(3):704-10.
- Hanselman BA, Kruth SA, Rousseau J, Low DE, Willey BM, McGeer A, Weese JS. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in veterinary personnel. Emerg Infect Dis 2006 Dec;12(12):1933-8.
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