Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of blood culture isolates from foals in Switzerland

• Published in: Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde Vol. 160; no. 11; p. 665
• Main Authors: Fouché, N, Gerber, V, Thomann, A, Perreten, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 01-11-2018
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - administration & dosage; Bacteremia - blood; Bacteremia - microbiology; Bacteremia - veterinary; Bacteria - drug effects; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Blood Culture - veterinary; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Horse Diseases - blood; Horse Diseases - drug therapy; Horse Diseases - microbiology; Horses; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Switzerland; Switzerland; Bakteriämie; batteriemia; concentration minimale inhibitrice; antibiotiques; Minimale Hemmstoffkonzentration; concentrazione minima inibitoria; Antibiotika; Bacteremia; septicémie; sepsi; Minimal inhibitory concentration; Antibiotics; Pferd; Horse; antibiotici; bactériémie; cheval; Sepsis; cavallo
• ISSN: 0036-7281
• DOI: 10.17236/sat00184

We report blood culture results of 43 foals admitted to an equine hospital for medical or surgical disorders and determine minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of different antibiotics. Eleven foals had a positive blood culture result despite prior administration of antibiotics in 10 of these animals. MIC values above EUCAST and/or CLSI breakpoints were identified in coagulase-negative staphylococci, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococcus faecium. Gram-negative isolates were less frequently identified and did not appear to exhibit increased MIC values. This study shows that bloodstream infections in foals in Switzerland are caused by diverse bacteria including Gram-positive bacteria which exhibit resistance to several classes of antibiotics.