Emergent and endemic multidrug resistant pathogens in equine surgical patients

Introduction

While antimicrobials have revolutionized veterinary medicine, the parallel emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance has had profound impacts on patient morbidity and mortality in human and veterinary medicine. The ability of antimicrobials to resist the effects of antibiotics existed before the advent of medical antimicrobials, yet use (prudent use and misuse) of antimicrobials almost inevitably leads to some pressure for resistance. This can have profound clinical effects, and resistance in animals is compounded by concerns about transfer of resistant pathogens or resistance genes to humans.

Equine Surgical Site Infection Pathogens

General patterns amongst surgical site infections are similar between species and regions. In general, staphylococci and streptococci are most common in orthopedic and wound infections, while Gram negative pathogens (e.g.E. coli) tend to be more common in SSIs associated with abdominal or urinary procedures.^12–5 However, a wide range of bacteria can be involved, including common aerobes, fastidious atypical organisms (e.g.Actinomyces) and anaerobes. Different treatment challenges may be present, including variable antimicrobial resistance risks. Antimicrobial resistance can be associated with most bacterial pathogens; however, in equine surgery, resistance is of greatest concern in Enterobacteriaceae, staphylococci andPseudomonas. [...]