Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Horses and Horse Personnel, 2000–2002

摘要

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)infection was identified in 2 horses treated at a veterinaryhospital in 2000, prompting a study of colonization rates ofhorses and associated persons. Seventy-nine horses and27 persons colonized or infected with MRSA were identi-fied from October 2000 to November 2002; most isolationsoccurred 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 vet-erinary hospital, and 8 (30%) were from the thoroughbredfarm. Thirteen (16%) horses and 1 (4%) person were clin-ically infected. Ninety-six percent of equine and 93% ofhuman isolates were subtypes of Canadian epidemicMRSA-5, spa type 7 and possessed SCCmecIV. All testedisolates from clinical infections were negative for thePanton-Valentine leukocidin genes. Equine MRSA infec-tion may be an important emerging zoonotic and veteri-nary disease