pamnock
Well-Known Member
The Meadville Tribune ~ Pennsylvania
http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_337152257.html
Published December 03, 2007 03:22 pm -
VETERINARIAN COLUMN â MRSA in pets
By Conneaut Lake Veterinary Hospital
On Oct. 17, MRSA, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, once again came to the foreground of our attention with the tragic death of a high school student in Virginia. MRSA is a antibiotic resistant bacterium that was first isolated and identified in 1961 in the UK from a hospitalized patient who was not responding to antibiotic therapy. Once thought to be mostly isolated in hospital settings, a newer strain of MRSA has emerged known as Community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA, that is being found in the general population spread by skin-to-skin contact or skin-to-contaminated fomite (object that has the bacterium on it). Human symptoms of this disease include skin infections that may appear as pustules or boils that are red, swollen, painful, and may or may not be draining. In severe cases, this disease pathogen is known as the âflesh-eating bacteriaâ and may cause necrotizing (flesh killing) pneumonia and sepsis (infection of the blood), all of which are life threatening.
So, why is a veterinary hospital discussing this human pathogen? Because it is considered a zoonotic disease (a disease that can be passed from pets to people) by the Centers for Disease Control. MRSA is an interesting disease because it can be passed from pets to their people, and from people to their pets through normal contact known as reverse zoonosis. Many animals that have the disease are asymptomatic (no signs of illness) and are carriers of the disease, as the MRSA integrates into the normal nasal and gastrointestinal bacterial flora. This makes it difficult to assess the risk of acquiring MRSA from pets and vise-versa.
If your pet is experiencing a skin lesion that is not resolving, talk to your veterinarian about having them tested. Another reason why you would have your pet tested for MRSA is if you have been diagnosed with MRSA as you can give the infection to your pet. Most reference labs are able to diagnose the bacterium from a simple nasal swab and fecal swab, which they culture (grow in a controlled setting). Like any bacterial infection, the lab will isolate the bacteria and identify it through a series of tests. The laboratory technicians will then determine what drugs stop the bacteriaâs growth. This information is relayed to your veterinarian who will make medication recommendations to efficiently treat the infection.
It is important to stress that because this is an emerging disease there is more controversy over the prevention of the disease than there is widely accepted, practiced techniques. According to the Centers for Disease Control, some good basic advice to prevent the spread of any bacterial disease is practicing good hand hygiene by washing frequently. Donât touch your eyes, nose, broken skin or mouth if at all possible as these are the preferred routes of transmission. If you have been diagnosed as having MRSA, know that your pet is susceptible and give this information to the veterinarian if he/she shows signs of illness.
The role of domesticated pets spreading the disease is not well known at this point. To be safe, we recommend that all Therapy Dog Handlers (anyone taking pets into a hospital or nursing home setting) use caution and common sense to help prevent the spread of the disease and keep their animals safe. Call ahead to your destination to see if there are any patients that have been diagnosed with MRSA. If there are positive cases of MRSA consider not visiting. If there are patients with unresolved skin lesions, donât allow your pet to interact with them. It sounds cruel, but consider the way that the disease is thought to be spread. A person pets the animal, the animal moves to the next person who will pet them. In theory, if the first person is infected with MRSA and transfers the bacteria to the pet, it is possible for the next person to contract the disease.
Minimize the chance of spreading the disease keeping your pets as clean as possible before and after the visits. If the therapy pet has signs of skin lesions or illness, take them to your veterinarian to seek medical treatment and donât visit the homes or hospitals until the condition is completely resolved.
The best advice that we can give at this point is to use good hand hygiene and common sense to protect yourself and your pet. Discussing your petâs risk with your veterinarian is also a great idea.
Conneaut Lake Veterinary Hospital Inc., 14405 Conneaut Lake Road, Meadville, Pa. 16335, can be contacted at (814) 382-5446 or via [email protected].
http://www.meadvilletribune.com/local/local_story_337152257.html
Published December 03, 2007 03:22 pm -
VETERINARIAN COLUMN â MRSA in pets
By Conneaut Lake Veterinary Hospital
On Oct. 17, MRSA, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, once again came to the foreground of our attention with the tragic death of a high school student in Virginia. MRSA is a antibiotic resistant bacterium that was first isolated and identified in 1961 in the UK from a hospitalized patient who was not responding to antibiotic therapy. Once thought to be mostly isolated in hospital settings, a newer strain of MRSA has emerged known as Community-associated MRSA, or CA-MRSA, that is being found in the general population spread by skin-to-skin contact or skin-to-contaminated fomite (object that has the bacterium on it). Human symptoms of this disease include skin infections that may appear as pustules or boils that are red, swollen, painful, and may or may not be draining. In severe cases, this disease pathogen is known as the âflesh-eating bacteriaâ and may cause necrotizing (flesh killing) pneumonia and sepsis (infection of the blood), all of which are life threatening.
So, why is a veterinary hospital discussing this human pathogen? Because it is considered a zoonotic disease (a disease that can be passed from pets to people) by the Centers for Disease Control. MRSA is an interesting disease because it can be passed from pets to their people, and from people to their pets through normal contact known as reverse zoonosis. Many animals that have the disease are asymptomatic (no signs of illness) and are carriers of the disease, as the MRSA integrates into the normal nasal and gastrointestinal bacterial flora. This makes it difficult to assess the risk of acquiring MRSA from pets and vise-versa.
If your pet is experiencing a skin lesion that is not resolving, talk to your veterinarian about having them tested. Another reason why you would have your pet tested for MRSA is if you have been diagnosed with MRSA as you can give the infection to your pet. Most reference labs are able to diagnose the bacterium from a simple nasal swab and fecal swab, which they culture (grow in a controlled setting). Like any bacterial infection, the lab will isolate the bacteria and identify it through a series of tests. The laboratory technicians will then determine what drugs stop the bacteriaâs growth. This information is relayed to your veterinarian who will make medication recommendations to efficiently treat the infection.
It is important to stress that because this is an emerging disease there is more controversy over the prevention of the disease than there is widely accepted, practiced techniques. According to the Centers for Disease Control, some good basic advice to prevent the spread of any bacterial disease is practicing good hand hygiene by washing frequently. Donât touch your eyes, nose, broken skin or mouth if at all possible as these are the preferred routes of transmission. If you have been diagnosed as having MRSA, know that your pet is susceptible and give this information to the veterinarian if he/she shows signs of illness.
The role of domesticated pets spreading the disease is not well known at this point. To be safe, we recommend that all Therapy Dog Handlers (anyone taking pets into a hospital or nursing home setting) use caution and common sense to help prevent the spread of the disease and keep their animals safe. Call ahead to your destination to see if there are any patients that have been diagnosed with MRSA. If there are positive cases of MRSA consider not visiting. If there are patients with unresolved skin lesions, donât allow your pet to interact with them. It sounds cruel, but consider the way that the disease is thought to be spread. A person pets the animal, the animal moves to the next person who will pet them. In theory, if the first person is infected with MRSA and transfers the bacteria to the pet, it is possible for the next person to contract the disease.
Minimize the chance of spreading the disease keeping your pets as clean as possible before and after the visits. If the therapy pet has signs of skin lesions or illness, take them to your veterinarian to seek medical treatment and donât visit the homes or hospitals until the condition is completely resolved.
The best advice that we can give at this point is to use good hand hygiene and common sense to protect yourself and your pet. Discussing your petâs risk with your veterinarian is also a great idea.
Conneaut Lake Veterinary Hospital Inc., 14405 Conneaut Lake Road, Meadville, Pa. 16335, can be contacted at (814) 382-5446 or via [email protected].
