Japanese Vets Likely Transferred MRSA to Racehorses

When veterinarians diagnosed MRSA infection in hospitalized Thoroughbred racehorses at two veterinary hospitals in Japan not long ago, they wondered about the source of the infection. Such cases are tough to manage and lead to lost training days, all while posing a risk to human health.These finding show that no MRSA colonization exists within the healthy racehorses at JRA, but a high rate of colonization exists in the JRA veterinary community, said Kuroda. Therefore, MRSA is likely being transferred between the JRA veterinarians and horses. These results show that there is an occupational risk to veterinarians of becoming colonized with MRSA. Additionally, he said, this study confirms the need for strict hygiene management programs within veterinary hospitals to prevent MRSA transmission between veterinarians and horses.