Vets warned to take care over MRSA

Link: PubMed
Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are major nosocomial pathogens in human hospitals (23,24) and have been reported in veterinary hospitals (25). Eleven cases of MRSA infection in horses and dogs have been identified at the Ontario Veterinary College between 2000 and 2002. While MRSA are no more pathogenic than other strains of S. aureus, infection with MRSA is of significant importance due to the high level of antimicrobial resistance. In general, colonization of health care personnel is asymptomatic and the main concern is transmission of the organism to susceptible patients. However, clinical MRSA cases in human health care professionals have been reported (26). Methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus have been isolated from dogs (27). Furthermore, transmission of MRSA from dogs to humans has been described (28). To date, clinically significant zoonotic transmission of MRSA has not been reported, but it should not be dismissed. Personal hygiene and judicious antimicrobial use should help to decrease the likelihood of MRSA acquisition in veterinary clinics. Veterinarians should request that multidrug-resistant S. aureus isolates be screened to determine whether they are MRSA