The study was conducted at the Clinical microbiology laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, and covered nearly 2,000 strains of the bacterium. The study was funded by the
MRSP evolves rapidly
“In 2010-2011, when people became aware of the problems caused by MRSP, the bacterium was spreading largely through bacterial clones, i.e. bacteria which were nearly identical in genetic terms. At that time, the most important clone was the sequence type 71 (ST71), which was also common elsewhere in Europe. A few years later, the number of different bacterial clones was significantly larger,” says LicVetMed
Antibiotic resistance is common
The study also examined the sensitivity of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius to antibiotics in general. According to head of laboratory, DrVetMed
Like many previous studies, the results also showed a link between antibiotic treatment and antibiotic resistance. Ongoing antibiotic treatment during testing was a significant risk factor for an S. pseudintermedius isolate being MRSP. Veterinarians, pet owners and breeders must all cooperate to improve the antibiotic resistance situation. “In practice this means that we must dramatically reduce the use of antibiotics and favour other forms of treatment whenever possible. We should invest in animal health care. Breeding can also be used to get healthier animals,” Grönthal specifies.
Prevalence of MRSP
The study also offered a rough estimate of the prevalence of MRSP. Approximately 3% of dogs from which bacteriological specimens were taken had MRSP. Among dogs with risk factors (skin infections, a history of many antibiotic treatments), MRSP was three times as common. Among cats, MRSP was very rare. “These results give us an indication of the prevalence of MRSP in the animal population, but we need further research to confirm the data,” states Rantala.