| dc.description.abstract | Nosocomial infections, meaning those contracted while hospitalized or receiving medical
attention, are an important area of research not only in human medicine, but in veterinary
medicine as well. Equine Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and
specifically ST398 in Europe, is able to affect both horses and humans in many ways,
ranging from subclinical nasal carriage in both horses and those who work with them, to
fatal infections in affected horses. As Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is naturally part
of environmental and animal flora, it easily survives in the hospital setting. This combined
with its genetic ability to adapt to various antimicrobial drugs used in attempts to treat
these infections, poses a great risk for equine health. There are also potential zoonotic
considerations with this strain of bacteria. Given this, creating and implementing effective
biosecurity protocols into equine hospitals is of great importance to eradicate MRSA from
the equine hospital setting and prevent future MRSA introduction. | en_US |
