Companion animals: a reservoir for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the community?

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 138; no. 5; pp. 595 - 605
• Main Authors: LOEFFLER, A., LLOYD, D. H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.05.2010
• Subjects: Animal hospitals; Animal species; Animals; Animals, Domestic - microbiology; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Community; Community-Acquired Infections - epidemiology; Community-Acquired Infections - microbiology; Community-Acquired Infections - transmission; companion animals; Disease Reservoirs; Epidemiology; Genetic engineering; Horses; Hospitals; Humans; Infections; Laboratories; Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - classification; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; MRSA; Nosocomial infections; Pathogens; Penicillin; Pets; Public health; reservoir; REVIEW ARTICLES; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal Infections - transmission; Staphylococcal Infections - veterinary; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcus aureus; Staphylococcus infections; transmission; Veterinary medicine; Zoonoses - epidemiology; Zoonoses - microbiology; Zoonoses - transmission; Canada; Netherlands; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Germany; transmission; reservoir; Community; companion animals; MRSA
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268809991476

This article reviews the literature on the epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in dogs, cats and horses. Over the past 10 years, MRSA has emerged as an important pathogen in veterinary medicine, especially in countries with a high MRSA burden in human hospitals. During the same period, community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections in humans without apparent links to healthcare facilities have increased dramatically. Although animal infections occur outside human hospitals, significant epidemiological, clinical and genetic differences exist between CA-MRSA in humans and the majority of MRSA infections in the different animal species. The recognition of MRSA in animals has raised concern over their role as potential reservoirs or vectors for human MRSA infection in the community. However, available data on MRSA transmission between humans and companion animals are limited and the public health impact of such transmission needs to be the subject of more detailed epidemiological studies.