BackgroundAntimicrobial resistance is becoming increasingly important in both human and veterinary medicine. This study investigated the proportion of antimicrobial resistant samples and resistance patterns of Staphylococcus isolates from cats presented at a veterinary teaching hospital in South Africa. Records of 216 samples from cats that were submitted to the bacteriology laboratory of the University of Pretoria academic veterinary hospital between 2007 and 2012 were evaluated. Isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing against a panel of 15 drugs using the disc diffusion method. Chi square and Fisher’s exact tests were used to assess simple associations between antimicrobial resistance and age group, sex, breed and specimen type. Additionally, associations between Staphylococcus infection and age group, breed, sex and specimen type were assessed using logistic regression.Results Staphylococcus spp. isolates were identified in 17.6% (38/216) of the samples submitted and 4.6% (10/216) of these were unspeciated. The majority (61.1%,11/18) of the isolates were from skin samples, followed by otitis media (34.5%, 10/29). Coagulase Positive Staphylococcus (CoPS) comprised 11.1% (24/216) of the samples of which 7.9% (17/216) were S. intermedius group and 3.2% (7/216) were S. aureus. Among the Coagulase Negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) (1.9%, 4/216), S. felis and S. simulans each constituted 0.9% (2/216). There was a significant association between Staphylococcus spp. infection and specimen type with odds of infection being higher for ear canal and skin compared to urine specimens. There were higher proportions of samples resistant to clindamycin 34.2% (13/25), ampicillin 32.4% (2/26), lincospectin 31.6% (12/26) and penicillin-G 29.0% (11/27). Sixty three percent (24/38) of Staphylococcus spp. were resistant to one antimicrobial agent and 15.8% were multidrug resistant (MDR). MDR was more common among S. aureus 28.6% (2/7) than S. intermedius group isolates 11.8% (2/17). One S. intermedius group isolate was resistant to all β-lactam antimicrobial agents tested.Conclusion S. intermedius group was the most common cause of skin infections and antimicrobial resistance was not wide spread among cats presented at the veterinary academic hospital in South Africa. However, the presence of MDR-Staphylococcus spp. and isolates resistant to all β-lactams is of both public health and animal health concern.

Although Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) can infect both animals and humans, there is a paucity of veterinary studies on antimicrobial resistance of P. aeruginosa in South Africa. Secondary data of canine clinical cases presented at the hospital from January 2007 to December 2013 was used. The following information was recorded: type of sample, the date of sampling and the antimicrobial susceptibility results. Frequencies, proportions and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated for all the categorical variables. In total, 155 P. aeruginosa isolates were identified and included in this study. All the isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial (AMR), while 92% were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Most isolates were resistant to lincomycin (98%), penicillin-G (96%), orbifloxacin (90%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (90%) and doxycycline (87%). A low proportion of isolates was resistant to imipenem (6%), tobramycin (12%), amikacin (16%) and gentamicin (18%). A high proportion of MDR-P. aeruginosa isolates was resistant to amoxycillin-clavulanic acid (99%), tylosin (99%), chloramphenicol (97%) and doxycycline (96%). Few (6%) of MDR-P. aeruginosa isolates were resistant to imipenem. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was associated with infections of various organ systems in this study. All P. aeruginosa isolates of P. aeruginosa exhibited resistance to β-lactams, fluoroquinolones and lincosamides. Clinicians at the hospital in question should consider these findings when treating infections associated with P. aeruginosa.

BackgroundHospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are associated with increased mortality, morbidity, and an economic burden due to costs associated with extended hospital stays. Furthermore, most pathogens associated with HAIs in veterinary medicine are zoonotic. This study used published data to identify organisms associated with HAIs and zoonosis in veterinary medicine. Furthermore, the study also investigated the antimicrobial-susceptibility profile of these bacterial organisms.MethodsA systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Search terms and five electronic databases were used to identify studies published over 20 years (2000–2020). The risk of bias was assessed using the “Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology-Vet” (STROBE-Vet) checklist.ResultsOut of the identified 628 papers, 27 met the inclusion criteria for this study. Most studies (63%, 17/27) included were either from small animal or companion animal clinics/hospitals, while 5% (4/27) were from large animal clinics/hospitals inclusive of bovine and equine hospitals. Hospital-acquired bacteria were reported from environmental surfaces (33%, 9/27), animal clinical cases (29.6%, 8/27), and fomites such as cell phones, clippers, stethoscopes, and computers (14.8%, 4/27). Staphylococcus spp. was the most (63%; 17/27) reported organism, followed by Escherichia coli (19%; 5/27), Enterococcus spp. (15%, 4/27), Salmonella spp. (15%; 4/27), Acinetobacter baumannii (15%, 4/27), Clostridioides difficile (4%, 1/27), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (4%; 1/27). Multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms were reported in 71% (12/17) of studies linked to Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP), Enterococcus spp., Salmonella Typhimurium, A. baumannii, and E. coli. The mecA gene was identified in both MRSA and MRSP, the blaCMY-2 gene in E. coli and Salmonella spp., and the vanA gene in E. faecium isolate. Six studies reported organisms from animals with similar clonal lineage to those reported in human isolates.ConclusionOrganisms associated with hospital-acquired infections and zoonosis have been reported from clinical cases, environmental surfaces, and items used during patient treatment and care. Staphylococcus species is the most reported organism in cases of HAIs and some isolates shared similar clonal lineage to those reported in humans. Some organisms associated with HAIs exhibit a high level of resistance and contain genes associated with antibiotic resistance.

Hand hygiene compliance remains the cornerstone of infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare facilities. However, there is a paucity of information on the level of IPC in veterinary health care facilities in South Africa. Therefore, this study evaluated hand hygiene compliance of healthcare workers and visitors in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OVAH). Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare workers (HCWs) and visitors in the ICU using the infection control assessment tool (ICAT) as stipulated by the South African National Department of Health. Direct observations using the “five hand hygiene moments” criteria as set out by the World helath Organisation were also recorded. The level of compliance and a 95% confidence interval were calculated for all variables. Results: Individual bottles of alcohol-based hand-rub solution and hand-wash basins with running water, soap dispensers, and paper towels were easily accessible and available at all times in the ICU. In total, 296 observations consisting of 734 hand hygiene opportunities were recorded. Hand hygiene compliance was also evaluated during invasive (51.4%) and non-invasive (48.6%) procedures. The overall hand hygiene compliance was 24.3% (178/734). In between patients, most HCWs did not sanitize stethoscopes, leashes, and cellular phones used. Additionally, the majority of HCWs wore jewellery below the elbows. The most common method of hand hygiene was hand-rub (58.4%), followed by hand-wash (41.6%). Nurses had a higher (44%) level of compliance compared to students (22%) and clinicians (15%). Compliance was also higher after body fluid exposure (42%) compared to after patient contact (32%), before patient contact (19%), after contact with patient surroundings (16%), and before an aseptic procedure (15%). Conclusion: Hand hygiene compliance in this study was low, raising concerns of potential transmission of hospital-acquired infections and zoonoses in the ICU. Therefore, it is essential that educational programs be developed to address the low level of hand hygiene in this study.