Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. investigation in hospitalized horses and contacting personnel in a teaching veterinary hospital.

This research investigated the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus, a type of bacteria, in horses and veterinary staff within a teaching veterinary hospital. A key finding was a notable genetic similarity between the bacteria found in a horse and one of the staff members – highlighting the potential for cross-species transmission and the importance of prevention measures.

Research Methodology

• The study involved the collection of nasal swabs from both horses (131 participants) and human staff (35 participants) at a veterinary teaching hospital.
• The samples were then analysed using both traditional biochemical tests and various genotypic methods. These included Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Internal Transcript Spacer PCR (ITS-PCR), and gene sequencing.
• The investigators identified the species of Staphylococci present by analysing species-specific characteristics.

Findings

• Of the horse samples, 18% (23/131) were found with Staphylococcal species. The breakdown of the Staphylococcal species were as follows: 8% (11/131) were S. hyicus, 4 % (5/131) were S. aureus, 4% (5/131) were S. pseudintermedius, and 2% (2/131) were S. schleiferi subsp. coagulans. A mecA gene, which is a key contributor to antibiotic resistance, was detected in an isolated S.pseudintermedius sample.
• Staphylococcus spp. was found in 40% (14/35) of the human samples, all found to be S.aureus.
• In four samples of S. aureus, the clonal profile ST398 was identified. This suggests that these S. aureus bacteria have similar genetic profiles.
• A notable finding was that there was a genetic similarity of 98.1% between an S. Aureus bacteria found in a horse and one from a human sample. This suggests potential for interspecies transmission of this methicillin-resistant bacterium.

Implications

• The results of this study highlight the presence and potential transfer of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species between horses and people in a veterinary hospital setting.
• This underlines the need for thorough biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of such multi-drug resistant bacteria, and other potentially harmful germs, between humans and horses within veterinary clinical settings.
• Potential applications of this research include the development of preventative and control strategies to curb the spread of S.aureus and other harmful, drug-resistant bacteria in veterinary hospitals and other related settings.