Welcome to vnonline.co.uk

vnonline.co.uk provides the veterinary nursing profession with the latest news and industry developments, as well as events, resources, learning materials and careers.

Our website is dedicated to veterinary nurses and we strive to provide a platform where you can voice and explore your interests.

Not a member yet? Sign up for free!

Register for free with vnonline.co.uk to gain unlimited access to news, resources, jobs and much more!



Click here to become a member






Log in to vnonline

Forgot your password?

Posted: 15th May 2014

Humans and pets share MRSA bacteria
dachshund with owner
Scientists say MRSA infections in cats and dogs are rare.
Scientists discover animals have less resistance to erythromycin

Cambridge scientists have found that humans and companion animals harbour the same types of MRSA infections.

When researchers compared 46 MRSA samples from UK cats and dogs to a global collection of human samples, they found that the infections fell into the same family - epidemic MRSA 15 (EMRSA-15) (sequence type ST22), a common strain of the bacterium.

Scientists say their findings indicate the companion animal bacteria originated in humans.

"Our study demonstrates that humans and companion animals readily exchange and share MRSA bacteria from the same population," explained lead author Mark Holmes, senior lecturer in preventative veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge.

Findings published this week in mBio, the online journal of the American Society for Microbiology, suggest that MRSA can be readily transmitted in veterinary hospital settings, just as it is in human hospitals.

“It’s a reminder that constant vigilance and high levels of hygiene are just as important when treating cats and dogs as with humans,” Holmes says.

In addition, scientists discovered that the animal MRSA they studied was significantly less likely than human MRSA to be resistant to erythromycin, which is rarely used in UK veterinary practices.

MRSA in the animal samples was more likely to contain mutations causing resistance to clindamycin, which is widely used in veterinary medicine in the UK.

Holmes stressed, however, that MRSA infection in cats and dogs is rare, with "very little risk" of owners contracting it from their pets. Likewise, healthy pets are unlikely to pick up MRSA from humans, he explained, but if the pet is already ill, MRSA patients should speak to their vet.

The article can be read online here.




Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history



Latest news | Careers | Events | Resources | Contact us | Terms and conditions | Data Protection and Privacy |Cookie policy | About us | Copyright
© 2024 Vision Media, all rights reserved. vnonline.co.uk is not responsible for the content of external websites.