Ann Infect Dis Epidemiol | Volume 2, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
Elizabeth Hamilton and John B Kaneene*
Medical Education & Development, Michigan State University, Michigan
*Correspondance to: John B Kaneene
Fulltext PDFPurpose: Hospital-acquired (HA)-MRSA has been reported to be associated with small animal personnel, as well as companion animals. The objective of this study was to explore the characteristics of MRSA isolated from the patients, healthcare providers, and environmental surfaces within the “small animal” area of a veterinary teaching hospital (VTH).
Methods: Isolates of S. aureus were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility, as well as the presence of the mecA and PVL genes; PFGE and MLST were performed.
Results: A total of 30 MRSA isolates were identified; 6 from humans, 23 from animals, and 1 from an environmental surface. The most prevalent clone of HA-MRSA (USA100: ST 5) was identified among the faculty and patients within the VTH. Additionally, community-acquired (CA) MRSA (USA 300:ST8: PVL+) was identified from multiple samples over the course of approximately four months from a single veterinary student.
Conclusion: Despite low sample size, the presence of both HA- and CA-MRSA within this VTH is notable. Additionally, evidence of transmission of MRSA among patients and health care providers was observed. The implication of this is massive and more work to identify the routes and association of transmission is needed.
HA-MRSA: Hospital-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; CA-MRSA: Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; VTH: Veterinary Teaching Hospital; PVL: Panton-Valentine Leukocidin; ST: Sequence-Type; ECC: Emergency Critical Care Ward; OS: Orthopedic Surgery Ward; STS: Soft Tissue Surgery Ward; IM: Internal Medicine Ward
Hamilton E, Kaneene JB. Characterization of MRSA Isolated from Companion Animals, Healthcare Providers and Environmental Surfaces of a Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Ann Infect Dis Epidemiol. 2017;2(1):1010.