FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Can Vet J / Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus co...
The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne2010; 50(11); 1177-1180;

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in horses in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Abstract: This study estimated the prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in nasal swabs of 458 horses in western Canada. The rate of colonization was 1.3% +/- 5.84% [95% confidence interval (CI)], a rate similar to those reported elsewhere. Colonization tended to be transient and seemed unrelated to stress or administration of antimicrobials. Five of the 6 isolates were Canadian epidemic MRSA-5, a human clone that appears to predominate in horses in North America. The other isolate was spa type 539 (t034), a sequence type 398 strain, and this is the first report of this clone in horses in North America. Surveillance is warranted because of the potential of MRSA to cause disease in horses and humans. Prévalence de la colonisation par Staphylococcus aureus résistant à la méthicilline chez des chevaux en Saskatchewan, en Alberta et en Colombie-Britannique. Cette étude a estimé la prévalence de Staphylococcus aureus résistant à la méthicilline (SARM) dans des prélèvements nasaux chez 458 chevaux de l’Ouest canadien. Le taux de colonisation était de 1,3 % ± 5,84 % [intervalle de confiance (IC) de 95 %], un taux semblable à celui déclaré ailleurs. La colonisation avait une tendance transitoire et semblait non liée au stress ou à l’administration d’antimicrobiens. Cinq des 6 isolats étaient le SARM-5 épidémique canadien, un clone humain qui semble prédominer chez les chevaux en Amérique du Nord. L’autre isolat était de type spa 539 (t034), une souche à la séquence de type 398, et cela est le premier rapport de ce clone chez les chevaux en Amérique du Nord. La surveillance est justifiée en raison du potentiel du SARM pour causer la maladie chez les chevaux et les humains. (Traduit par Isabelle Vallières)
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2010-02-02 PubMed ID: 20119542PubMed Central: PMC2764514
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

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 article investigates the occurrence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a type of bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics, in horses in Western Canada.

Research Context

  • The purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of MRSA in nasal swabs of horses in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. The rate of MRSA in horses could have important implications for human health, as well as equine health, as MRSA can cause infections in both species.

Research Methodology

  • The study used nasal swabs from 458 horses to detect the presence of MRSA.
  • The key piece of information analysed in this study was the prevalence or rate of colonization, of MRSA.
  • Special attention was given to factors such as stress and administration of antimicrobials, which might influence the rate of colonization.

Research Findings

  • The prevalence of MRSA colonization was found to be 1.3%, within a range of plus or minus 5.84% at a 95% confidence interval. This means that in each group of 100 horses, between roughly 0 and 7 of them were likely to have MRSA colonization.
  • The rate of colonization was found to be generally transient, meaning it did not persist over time. It also appeared unrelated to stress or the administration of antimicrobials.
  • Of the MRSA samples that were isolated, five out of six were Canadian epidemic MRSA-5, a type that predominantly occurs in horses in North America. One isolated sample was spa type 539 (t034), a sequence type 398 strain, marking the first report of this clone in North American horses.

Research Implications

  • This research signifies the importance of maintaining surveillance on MRSA prevalence in horses due to its potential to cause disease not just in horses, but also in humans.
  • Although the number of horses found with MRSA was relatively small, the ability of MRSA to resist many antibiotics and the potential for transmission between species warrents continued monitoring and research in this area.

Cite This Article

APA
Tokateloff N, Manning ST, Weese JS, Campbell J, Rothenburger J, Stephen C, Bastura V, Gow SP, Reid-Smith R. (2010). Prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in horses in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Can Vet J, 50(11), 1177-1180.

Publication

The Canadian veterinary journal = La revue veterinaire canadienne
ISSN: 0008-5286
NlmUniqueID: 0004653
Country: Canada
Language: English
Volume: 50
Issue: 11
Pages: 1177-1180

Researcher Affiliations

Tokateloff, Nathalie
  • Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Manning, Stephen T
    Weese, J Scott
      Campbell, John
        Rothenburger, Jamie
          Stephen, Craig
            Bastura, Vanessa
              Gow, Sheryl P
                Reid-Smith, Richard

                  MeSH Terms

                  • Alberta / epidemiology
                  • Animals
                  • British Columbia / epidemiology
                  • Carrier State / microbiology
                  • Carrier State / transmission
                  • Carrier State / veterinary
                  • Female
                  • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
                  • Horse Diseases / microbiology
                  • Horses
                  • Humans
                  • Male
                  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / drug effects
                  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / growth & development
                  • Nasal Cavity / microbiology
                  • Prevalence
                  • Saskatchewan / epidemiology
                  • Staphylococcal Infections / epidemiology
                  • Staphylococcal Infections / microbiology
                  • Staphylococcal Infections / veterinary
                  • Zoonoses

                  References

                  This article includes 29 references
                  1. Grundmann H, Aires-de-Sousa M, Boyce J, Tiemersma E. Emergence and resurgence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a public-health threat.. Lancet 2006;368:874–885.
                    pubmed: 16950365
                  2. Weese JS, Caldwell F, Willey BM. An outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections resulting from horse to human transmission in a veterinary hospital.. Vet Microbiol 2006;114:160–164.
                    pubmed: 16384660
                  3. Weese JS. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in horses and horse personnel.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2004;20:601–613.
                    pubmed: 15519821
                  4. O’Mahony R, Abbott Y, Leonard FC. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from animals and veterinary personnel in Ireland.. Vet Microbiol 2005;109:285–296.
                    pubmed: 16026939
                  5. Seguin JC, Walker RD, Caron JP. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreak in a veterinary teaching hospital: Potential human-to-animal transmission.. J Clin Microbiol 1999;37:1459–1463.
                    pmc: PMC84801pubmed: 10203505
                  6. Weese JS, Dick H, Willey BM. Suspected transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus between domestic pets and humans in veterinary clinics and in the household.. Vet Microbiol 2006;115:148–155.
                    pubmed: 16464540
                  7. Witte W, Strommenger B, Stanek C, Cuny C. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ST398 in humans and animals, Central Europe.. Emerg Infect Dis 2007;13:255–258.
                    pmc: PMC2725865pubmed: 17479888
                  8. Weese JS, DaCosta T, Button L, Goth K, Ethier M, Boehnke K. Isolation of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from the environment in a veterinary teaching hospital.. J Vet Intern Med 2004;18:468–470.
                    pubmed: 15320581
                  9. Cuny C, Kuemmerle J, Stanek C, Willey B, Strommenger B, Witte W. Emergence of MRSA infections in horses in a veterinary hospital: Strain characterisation and comparison with MRSA from humans.. Euro Surveill 2006;11:44–47.
                    pubmed: 16484728
                  10. Shimizu A, Kawano J, Yamamoto C, Kakutani O, Anzai T, Kamada M. Genetic analysis of equine methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.. J Vet Med Sci 1997;59:935–937.
                    pubmed: 9362045
                  11. Weese JS, Archambault M, Willey BM. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in horses and horse personnel, 2000–2002.. Emerg Infect Dis 2005;11:430–435.
                    pmc: PMC3298236pubmed: 15757559
                  12. Weese JS, Rousseau J, Traub-Dargatz JL, Willey BM, McGeer AJ, Low DE. Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in horses and humans who work with horses.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2005;226:580–583.
                    pubmed: 15742700
                  13. Khanna T, Friendship R, Dewey C, Weese JS. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in pigs and pig farmers.. Vet Microbiol 2008;128:298–303.
                    pubmed: 18023542
                  14. Weese JS, Rousseau J, Willey BM, Archambault M, McGeer A, Low DE. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in horses at a veterinary teaching hospital: Frequency, characterization, and association with clinical disease.. J Vet Intern Med 2006;20:182–186.
                    pubmed: 16496939
                  15. Bagcigil FA, Moodley A, Baptiste KE, Jensen VF, Guardabassi L. Occurrence, species distribution, antimicrobial resistance and clonality of methicillin- and erythromycin-resistant staphylococci in the nasal cavity of domestic animals.. Vet Microbiol 2007;121:307–315.
                    pubmed: 17270365
                  16. Vengust M, Anderson ME, Rousseau J, Weese JS. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcal colonization in clinically normal dogs and horses in the community.. Lett Appl Microbiol 2006;43:602–606.
                    pubmed: 17083704
                  17. Busscher JF, van Duijkeren E, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococci in healthy horses in the Netherlands.. Vet Microbiol 2006;113:131–136.
                    pubmed: 16303264
                  18. Mulvey MR, Chui L, Ismail J. Development of a Canadian standardized protocol for subtyping methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.. J Clin Microbiol 2001;39:3481–3485.
                    pmc: PMC88375pubmed: 11574559
                  19. Shopsin B, Gomez M, Montgomery SO. Evaluation of protein A gene polymorphic region DNA sequencing for typing of Staphylococcus aureus strains.. J Clin Microbiol 1999;37:3556–3563.
                    pmc: PMC85690pubmed: 10523551
                  20. Ridom SpaServer [database on the Internet] City. Würzburg, Germany: Ridom GmbH; [Last accessed September 14, 2009]. Available from http://www.spaserver.ridom.de/
                  21. Rankin S, Roberts S, O’Shea K, Maloney D, Lorenzo M, Benson CE. Panton valentine leukocidin (PVL) toxin positive MRSA strains isolated from companion animals.. Vet Microbiol 2005;108:145–148.
                    pubmed: 15917142
                  22. Weese JS, Rousseau J. Attempted eradication of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonisation in horses on two farms.. Equine Vet J 2005;37:510–514.
                    pubmed: 16295927
                  23. Leonard FC, Markey BK. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in animals: A review.. Vet J 2008;175:27–36.
                    pubmed: 17215151
                  24. Armand-Lefevre L, Ruimy R, Andremont A. Clonal comparison of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from healthy pig farmers, human controls, and pigs.. Emerg Infect Dis 2005;11:711–714.
                    pmc: PMC3320358pubmed: 15890125
                  25. van Belkum A, Melles DC, Peeters JK. Methicillin-Resistant and -Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Sequence Type 398 in Pigs and Humans.. Emerg Inf Dis Mar, 2008.
                    pmc: PMC2570802pubmed: 18325267
                  26. de Neeling AJ, van den Broek MJ, Spalburg EC. High prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in pigs.. Vet Microbiol 2007;122:366–372.
                    pubmed: 17367960
                  27. van Loo I, Huijsdens X, Tiemersma E. Emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus of animal origin in humans.. Emerg Infect Dis 2007;13:1834–1839.
                    pmc: PMC2876750pubmed: 18258032
                  28. Lee JH. Methicillin (Oxacillin)-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from major food animals and their potential transmission to humans.. Appl Environ Microbiol 2003;69:6489–6494.
                    pmc: PMC262320pubmed: 14602604
                  29. Weese JS, Lefebvre SL. Risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in horses admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital.. Can Vet J 2007;48:921–926.
                    pmc: PMC1950112pubmed: 17966332

                  Citations

                  This article has been cited 7 times.
                  1. 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).
                    doi: 10.3390/antibiotics13080713pubmed: 39200013google scholar: lookup
                  2. Sauvé F. Staphylococcal cutaneous infection in horses: From the early 2000s to the present. Can Vet J 2021 Sep;62(9):1001-1006.
                    pubmed: 34475588
                  3. Walther B, Klein KS, Barton AK, Semmler T, Huber C, Merle R, Tedin K, Mitrach F, Lübke-Becker A, Gehlen H. Equine Methicillin-Resistant Sequence Type 398 Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Harbor Mobile Genetic Elements Promoting Host Adaptation. Front Microbiol 2018;9:2516.
                    doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02516pubmed: 30405574google scholar: lookup
                  4. Adams R, Smith J, Locke S, Phillips E, Erol E, Carter C, Odoi A. An epidemiologic study of antimicrobial resistance of Staphylococcus species isolated from equine samples submitted to a diagnostic laboratory. BMC Vet Res 2018 Feb 5;14(1):42.
                    doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1367-6pubmed: 29402294google scholar: lookup
                  5. van Balen J, Mowery J, Piraino-Sandoval M, Nava-Hoet RC, Kohn C, Hoet AE. Molecular epidemiology of environmental MRSA at an equine teaching hospital: introduction, circulation and maintenance. Vet Res 2014 Mar 19;45(1):31.
                    doi: 10.1186/1297-9716-45-31pubmed: 24641543google scholar: lookup
                  6. Faires MC, Pearl DL, Ciccotelli WA, Straus K, Zinken G, Berke O, Reid-Smith RJ, Weese JS. A prospective study to examine the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile contamination in the general environment of three community hospitals in southern Ontario, Canada. BMC Infect Dis 2012 Nov 8;12:290.
                    doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-12-290pubmed: 23136936google scholar: lookup
                  7. Pantosti A. Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Associated with Animals and Its Relevance to Human Health. Front Microbiol 2012;3:127.
                    doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00127pubmed: 22509176google scholar: lookup
                  Subscribe to our newsletter
                  Join 99,001 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.