Transmission of opportunistic pathogens in a veterinary teaching hospital.
Abstract: Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Staphylococcus intermedius isolates from infected surgical wounds and other types of infections in a veterinary teaching hospital were typed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. A first cluster of infections with a multiresistant A. baumannii strain was observed in dogs and cats in 1998-1999. This strain disappeared after cleaning and disinfection of the companion animals intensive care unit. It was followed in 2000 by a second multiresistant strain, which caused another cluster of infections and was also transmitted to a patient in the nearby horse clinic. Transmission of a multiresistant E. faecium strain between two cats with surgical wound infections was also observed during the same period. No multiresistant S. intermedius strain was observed during this time and transmission of this organism between patients did not seem to occur. The present study demonstrates the potential for hospital nosocomial resistance problems in veterinary medicine similar to those encountered in human medicine. The results suggest that the epidemiology of nosocomial infections with A. baumannii and E. faecium may differ from that of S. intermedius infections and that preventive measures may have to be adapted to the problem organism.
Publication Date: 2001-08-17 PubMed ID: 11506928DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1135(01)00396-0Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research discusses the transmission of various opportunistic pathogens within a veterinary teaching hospital, emphasizing the potential for nosocomial (hospital-acquired) resistance problems in veterinary medicine similar to those encountered in human medicine.
Study Methodology
- The researchers focused on several pathogens: Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, and Staphylococcus intermedius.
- These pathogens were isolated from infected surgical wounds and other types of infections within a veterinary teaching hospital.
- To understand the different strains and evaluate their spread, the isolates were typed using a technique known as pulsed field gel electrophoresis. This technique separates large DNA molecules by applying an electric field that periodically changes direction.
Results and Observations
- The first cluster of infections from a multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain was observed in dogs and cats during 1998-1999. This particular strain disappeared following a cleaning and disinfection process in the companion animals’ intensive care unit.
- Following this, in the year 2000, another multiresistant strain was observed, leading to another cluster of infections. This strain also managed to infect a patient in the nearby horse clinic.
- A parallel observation was the transmission of a multiresistant Enterococcus faecium strain between two cats with surgical wound infections during the same time period.
- However, no multiresistant Staphylococcus intermedius strain was observed during this period, suggesting this organism was not being transmitted between patients in the same way.
Implications and Conclusions
- The study emphasizes the potential of nosocomial infections in veterinary medicine resembling those in human medicine. In particular, the emergence and spread of multiresistant strains represent a significant challenge.
- The results also imply that the epidemiology (the spread and impact) of infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii and Enterococcus faecium might differ from that of Staphylococcus intermedius.
- Consequently, this indicates that preventive measures against these infections in the veterinary hospital setting may have to be adapted depending on the specific problem organism, as the same strategies might not apply across different pathogens.
Cite This Article
APA
Boerlin P, Eugster S, Gaschen F, Straub R, Schawalder P.
(2001).
Transmission of opportunistic pathogens in a veterinary teaching hospital.
Vet Microbiol, 82(4), 347-359.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-1135(01)00396-0 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Institute for Veterinary Bacteriology, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland. patrick.boerlin@vbi.unibe.ch
MeSH Terms
- Acinetobacter / classification
- Acinetobacter / drug effects
- Acinetobacter Infections / drug therapy
- Acinetobacter Infections / prevention & control
- Acinetobacter Infections / transmission
- Acinetobacter Infections / veterinary
- Animals
- Animals, Domestic
- Bacterial Typing Techniques
- Cats
- Cross Infection / drug therapy
- Cross Infection / prevention & control
- Cross Infection / transmission
- Cross Infection / veterinary
- Disease Outbreaks / prevention & control
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Dogs
- Drug Resistance, Multiple
- Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / veterinary
- Enterococcus faecalis / classification
- Enterococcus faecalis / drug effects
- Enterococcus faecium / classification
- Enterococcus faecium / drug effects
- Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
- Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / prevention & control
- Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / transmission
- Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / veterinary
- Horses
- Hospitals, Animal
- Infection Control
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests
- Staphylococcus / classification
- Staphylococcus / drug effects
Citations
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