Background: Meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is a multidrug‐resistant canine pathogen with a low zoonotic potential. This study investigated MRSP carriage and clearance through topical antimicrobial therapy and household cleaning in dogs recovered from MRSP infection. Methods: Dogs were swabbed for MRSP carriage; household contamination was assessed using contact plates. Carrier dogs were allocated randomly to receive topical fusidic acid and chlorhexidine/miconazole treatment combined with owners implementing a household hygiene protocol (H&T) or implementation of hygiene alone (H) over three weeks. Carriage‐negative dogs were monitored monthly. The relatedness of isolates over time was investigated by pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results: At inclusion, MRSP carriage was confirmed in 31/46 (67.4%) index dogs and 16/24 (66.7%) contact dogs, and contamination was found in 18/40 (45%) environments. In dogs completing all cycles, interventions cleared carriage in 5/9 (55.6%) dogs in group H&T and 2/6 (33.3%) in group H. Environmental contamination was infrequent but associated with carrier dogs (p = 0.047). Monthly monitoring of initially negative dogs showed intermittent carriage in 9/14 dogs. PFGE‐concordance was found among all 34 MRSP isolated from eight index dogs over time. Conclusion: MRSP carriage was common in dogs after recovery from infection. Topical antimicrobial therapy temporarily eliminated carriage but recurrence was frequent. Management efforts must include the prevention of recurrent infections and hygiene.
Background Following recovery from meticillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) infection of any type, dogs may continue to carry MRSP asymptomatically on skin and mucosae, contributing to the spread of this multidrug‐resistant, veterinary hospital‐associated pathogen with zoonotic potential to others and into the environment. Objectives This study determined which canine anatomic and household environmental sites are most sensitive for sampling to identify carriage and contamination. Methods and Materials Fifty‐one dogs and 22 households, MRSP‐positive on at least one tested site, were sampled on 132 and 40 occasions over time, respectively. Dogs were swabbed at six sites (mouth, nose, conjunctiva, skin, prepuce/vulva, perianal area); household environments were sampled using contact plates (mannitol salt agar [MSA] and MSA + 6 mg/L oxacillin [MS+]) on five sites. MRSP was isolated after enrichment, grown on MSA/MS+ and was confirmed by PCR. Generalized estimating equations were used for calculation of sensitivity (95% confidence interval) for each site/combination. Results Each anatomical and environmental site yielded MRSP at least once. MRSP was isolated from only a single site in 27.3% of dogs, with the buccal mucosa showing the highest sensitivity (63.8%). Multi‐site sampling of a minimum of four canine anatomical or four environmental sites, respectively, was needed to achieve >95% sensitivity. Conclusions and clinical relevance The canine buccal mucosa should be included in MRSP sampling protocols, ideally in addition to at least three other anatomical sites. Likewise, environment sampling should be of multiple household sites in cases where it is used as a part of clinical case management.
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