Methicillin-resistant staphylococci amongst veterinary personnel, personnel-owned pets, patients and the hospital environment of two small animal veterinary hospitals

This study investigated the transmission cycle of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) in small companion animal veterinary practice. Sampling was undertaken at two small animal veterinary hospitals in Sydney, Australia. Samples were collected from 46 veterinary personnel, 79 personnel-owned dogs and cats, 151 clinically normal canine hospital admissions and 25 environmental sites. Nasal swabs were collected from veterinary personnel. Nasal, oral and perineal swabs were collected from animals. Methicillin resistance was detected by growth on Brilliance (TM) MRSA 2 Agar and confirmed by cefoxitin and oxacillin broth microdilution for S. aureus and S. pseudintermedius, respectively. MRSA and MRSP isolates were characterised using whole genome sequencing including mecA gene screening and multilocus sequence typing. MRSA was isolated from four (8%) veterinary personnel but no animals. MRSP was isolated from 11/151 (7%) of canine hospital admissions and 4/53 (8%) of personnel-owned dogs but no veterinary personnel or cats. No MRSA or MRSP was isolated from the environment. MRSP isolates were resistant to significantly more antimicrobial classes than MRSA. The main MRSP clone carried by canine patients (ST496) was distinct to that carried by personnel-owned dogs (ST64). One veterinary nurse, who carried Panton Valentine leucocidin-positive ST338 MRSA, also owned a ST749 MRSP-positive dog. Besides MRSP-positive dogs from the same household sharing the same clone of MRSP, MRSA and MRSP were not shared between humans, animals or environment. Therefore, in the non-outbreak setting of this study, there was limited MRS transmission between veterinary personnel, their pets, patients or the veterinary environment.