Suspected nosocomial infections with multi-drug resistant E. coli, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains, in an equine clinic.
Abstract: Enterobacteriaceae such as Escherichia coli are common commensals as well as opportunistic and obligate pathogens. They cause a broad spectrum of infectious diseases in various hosts, including hospital-associated infections. In recent years, the rise of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli in companion animals (dogs, cats and horses) has been striking. However, reports on nosocomial infections are mostly anecdotic. Here we report on the suspected nosocomial spread of both ESBL-producing and non-ESBL-producing multi-drug resistant E. coli isolates in three equine patients within an equine clinic. Unlike easy-to-clean hospitalization opportunities available for small animal settings like boxes and cages made of ceramic floor tiles or stainless steel, clinical settings for horses are challenging environments for infection control programs due to unavoidable extraneous material including at least hay and materials used for horse bedding. The development of practice-orientated recommendations is needed to improve the possibilities for infection control to prevent nosocomial infections with multi-drug resistant and other transmissible pathogens in equine clinical settings.
Publication Date: 2015-04-16 PubMed ID: 25872251
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Summary
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The research investigates a potential outbreak of hospital-acquired multi-drug resistant E. coli infections, particularly strains producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), among three horses in an equine clinic. The study highlights the difficulties of infection control in such settings and calls for the development of practical guidelines to prevent future such incidents.
Research Context
- The study focuses on Enterobacteriaceae, specifically Escherichia coli (E. coli), a diverse group of bacteria that is generally harmless but can sometimes cause serious infections. These organisms have been reported to cause a variety of infections, including those acquired in hospitals.
- Concern over E. coli lies in its capability to develop resistance to multiple drugs, made more severe by strains that produce extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), an enzyme that confers resistance to a wide range of beta-lactam antibiotics.
- While ESBL-producing E. coli has become more prevalent in companion animals over the years, documented cases of hospital-acquired infections are few and without solid evidence. This research addresses that gap by investigating a suspected outbreak in an equine clinic.
Infection Control Challenges
- The conditions that make equine clinical settings inherently difficult to maintain sterile are of specific focus in the reflection and analysis. These environments often contain materials like hay and bedding, which are challenging to clean and can serve as potential sites for bacteria to thrive incognito.
- Unlike smaller animals that can be accommodated in easy-to-clean enclosures like boxes and cages made of ceramic floor tiles or stainless steel, horses require more complex and expansive inputs that make infection controls trickier.
Research Implications and Recommendations
- The observed nosocomial spread of both ESBL-producing and non-ESBL-producing multi-drug resistant E. coli in the equine clinic underscores the need for better infection control protocols in such settings.
- The study concludes that in order to avert potential outbreaks of multi-drug resistant and other transmissible infections in equine clinics, the development and implementation of practical, clinic-specific recommendations is crucial.
Cite This Article
APA
Walther B, Lübke-Becker A, Stamm I, Gehlen H, Barton AK, Janssen T, Wieler LH, Guenther S.
(2015).
Suspected nosocomial infections with multi-drug resistant E. coli, including extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing strains, in an equine clinic.
Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr, 127(11-12), 421-427.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
- Cross Infection / microbiology
- Cross Infection / veterinary
- Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial
- Environmental Microbiology
- Escherichia coli / drug effects
- Escherichia coli / enzymology
- Escherichia coli / isolation & purification
- Escherichia coli Infections / microbiology
- Escherichia coli Infections / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / microbiology
- Horses
- Hospitals, Animal
- Male
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests
- Retrospective Studies
- beta-Lactamases / biosynthesis
Citations
This article has been cited 14 times.- Thomson P, García P, Río CD, Castro R, Núñez A, Miranda C. Antimicrobial Resistance and Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Genes in Enterobacterales, Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter Isolates from the Uterus of Healthy Mares.. Pathogens 2023 Sep 8;12(9).
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- Shnaiderman-Torban A, Navon-Venezia S, Baron H, Abu-Ahmad W, Arielly H, Zizelski Valenci G, Nissan I, Paitan Y, Steinman A. Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase Producing Enterobacterales in Healthy Community Dogs in Israel.. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022 Aug 7;11(8).
- Thomson K, Eskola K, Eklund M, Suominen K, Määttä M, Junnila J, Nykäsenoja S, Niinistö K, Grönthal T, Rantala M. Characterisation of and risk factors for extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) in an equine hospital with a special reference to an outbreak caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae ST307:CTX-M-1.. Acta Vet Scand 2022 Feb 9;64(1):4.
- Stöckle SD, Kannapin DA, Kauter AML, Lübke-Becker A, Walther B, Merle R, Gehlen H. A Pilot Randomised Clinical Trial Comparing a Short-Term Perioperative Prophylaxis Regimen to a Long-Term Standard Protocol in Equine Colic Surgery.. Antibiotics (Basel) 2021 May 16;10(5).
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- Elias L, Gillis DC, Gurrola-Rodriguez T, Jeon JH, Lee JH, Kim TY, Lee SH, Murray SA, Ohta N, Scott HM, Wu J, Rogovskyy AS. The Occurrence and Characterization of Extended-Spectrum-Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Clinical Diagnostic Specimens of Equine Origin.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Dec 21;10(1).
- Kaspar U, von Lützau K, Schlattmann A, Rösler U, Köck R, Becker K. Zoonotic multidrug-resistant microorganisms among non-hospitalized horses from Germany.. One Health 2019 Jun;7:100091.
- Wei J, Wenjie Y, Ping L, Na W, Haixia R, Xuequn Z. Antibiotic resistance ofKlebsiella pneumoniae through β-arrestin recruitment-induced β-lactamase signaling pathway.. Exp Ther Med 2018 Mar;15(3):2247-2254.
- Rastegar A, Nazari S, Allahabadi A, Falanji F, Akbari Dourbash FAD, Rezai Z, Alizadeh Matboo S, Hekmat-Shoar R, Mohseni SM, Majidi G. Antibacterial activity of amino- and amido- terminated poly (amidoamine)-G6 dendrimer on isolated bacteria from clinical specimens and standard strains.. Med J Islam Repub Iran 2017;31:64.
- Hilbert M, Csadek I, Auer U, Hilbert F. Antimicrobial Resistance-Transducing Bacteriophages Isolated from Surfaces of Equine Surgery Clinics - A Pilot Study.. Eur J Microbiol Immunol (Bp) 2017 Dec 18;7(4):296-302.
- Walther B, Klein KS, Barton AK, Semmler T, Huber C, Wolf SA, Tedin K, Merle R, Mitrach F, Guenther S, Lübke-Becker A, Gehlen H. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter baumannii among horses entering a veterinary teaching hospital: The contemporary "Trojan Horse".. PLoS One 2018;13(1):e0191873.
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