Walking On Volume 3, Issue 8, September 2016 | Page 9
For the Health of It
humans, food animals, and the environment, equine
infections are probably inevitable. Yet, while attracting
less attention, the endemic level of resistance to cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and aminoglycosides is
likely of greater relevance in horses because of their increasing incidence and the limited treatment options.
Regardless, awareness of emerging trends in humans
is important. As new issues emerge in humans, it is
possible that the same problems will emerge in horses
given the close contact between humans and horses,
the potential for interspecies transmission (in both directions), and the potential for common source infection (e.g. from food animals or the environment).
Veterinarians increasingly are encountering horses infected with multidrug resistant pathogens, and
the pathogens of concern continue to change. Twenty
years ago, MRSA and ESBLs in horses were of little interest. Now, they are far from rare. It is almost certain
that the next 20 years (if not the next five years) will be
accompanied with new antimicrobial resistant pathogens and challenges. There are no simple answers for
battling the scourge of antimicrobial resistance. However, awareness of the issues, optimizing antimicrobial
use, and focusing on infection control measures to
reduce the need for antimicrobials are important basic
and practical matters that every equine veterinarian
and horse caretaker can undertake.
–J.Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, DipACVIM
[email protected]
Ontario Veterinary College
University of Guelph
Guelph, ON, N1G2W1
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