Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in horses and horse personnel, 2000-2002.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection was identified in 2 horses treated at a veterinary hospital in 2000, prompting a study of colonization rates of horses and associated persons. Seventy-nine horses and 27 persons colonized or infected with MRSA were identified from October 2000 to November 2002; most isolations occurred in a 3-month period in 2002. Twenty-seven (34%) of the equine isolates were from the veterinary hospital, while 41 (51%) were from 1 thoroughbred farm in Ontario. Seventeen (63%) of 27 human isolates were from the veterinary hospital, and 8 (30%) were from the thoroughbred farm. Thirteen (16%) horses and 1 (4%) person were clinically infected. Ninety-six percent of equine and 93% of human isolates were subtypes of Canadian epidemic MRSA-5, spa type 7 and possessed SCCmecIV. All tested isolates from clinical infections were negative for the Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes. Equine MRSA infection may be an important emerging zoonotic and veterinary disease.
Weese
J S
JS
Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. jsweese@uoguelph.ca
Archambault
M
M
Willey
B M
BM
Hearn
P
P
Kreiswirth
B N
BN
Said-Salim
B
B
McGeer
A
A
Likhoshvay
Y
Y
Prescott
J F
JF
Low
D E
DE
D000822:Animal Husbandry; D017750:Animal Technicians; D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D006734:Horse Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006736:Horses / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013336:Students, Health Occupations; D013997:Time Factors; D018634:Veterinarians