Individual Presentation or Panel Title
Prevalence of Intranasal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in Racehorses Stabled at an Equine Racetrack
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to look at the prevalence of intranasal Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in horses stabled at an equine race track. Over the course of eleven days, samples were collected from 80 horses stabled at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. Additionally, samples were collected from 20 horses stabled at five private farms in Hennepin, Hugo, and Washington counties. None of these horses had ever been to Canterbury Park; therefore, they served as a control group. All of the samples were plated on a CHROMagar MRSA specific plate and a Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA II) plate with 5% Sheep Blood. Both plates were incubated for a total of 48 hours. Samples were considered to be MRSA positive with the presence of mauve, mucoid colonies, as seen on the CHROMagar MRSA plates. Additional testing was performed on the positive samples using colonies from the corresponding TSA II plate to further confirm intranasal MRSA colonization. The results showed that 38/80 (47.5%) of the horses stabled at Canterbury Park tested positive. Comparatively, 6/20 (30%) of the control horses tested positive. The data was then further analyzed to reveal a significant correlation between recent illness and/or antibiotic administration and intranasal MRSA colonization.
Location
Glass Dining Room
Start Date
21-4-2012 3:30 PM
End Date
21-4-2012 4:20 PM
Prevalence of Intranasal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus in Racehorses Stabled at an Equine Racetrack
Glass Dining Room
The purpose of this study was to look at the prevalence of intranasal Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in horses stabled at an equine race track. Over the course of eleven days, samples were collected from 80 horses stabled at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. Additionally, samples were collected from 20 horses stabled at five private farms in Hennepin, Hugo, and Washington counties. None of these horses had ever been to Canterbury Park; therefore, they served as a control group. All of the samples were plated on a CHROMagar MRSA specific plate and a Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA II) plate with 5% Sheep Blood. Both plates were incubated for a total of 48 hours. Samples were considered to be MRSA positive with the presence of mauve, mucoid colonies, as seen on the CHROMagar MRSA plates. Additional testing was performed on the positive samples using colonies from the corresponding TSA II plate to further confirm intranasal MRSA colonization. The results showed that 38/80 (47.5%) of the horses stabled at Canterbury Park tested positive. Comparatively, 6/20 (30%) of the control horses tested positive. The data was then further analyzed to reveal a significant correlation between recent illness and/or antibiotic administration and intranasal MRSA colonization.