MRSA isn't just for people any more. Staphylococcus aureus, many times just called staph is a cause of disease in both humans and animals. About one-third of all people in the world are colonized; or have this bacterium present on their bodies , primarily in the nose and skin. There has been a recent increase in the number of cases seen of MRSA, which is an antibiotic resistant strain of this staph infection (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). This is currently one of the most discussed health issues facing us today.
It has been noted that public officials and some doctors have tried to downplay the severity of this threat. I have personally been told by my (ex) personal physician (when my daughter contracted this illness) that it was "no big deal, everyone carries it on their body)! Well, only four short days after its appearance, my daughter nearly lost her leg and that was WITH the antibiotic that the doctor prescribed for her. Hence the name, methicillin resistant.
The reality of it is that the CDC announced in 2007 that 19,000 Americans die each year from MRSA infections, which is about 2,000 more than die from AIDS! No big deal though right?
As a horse owner, I was shocked to read in an article in the January, 2008 issue of Performance Horse written by Paul A. Canada regarding MRSA in horses. I was not even aware that it existed on horses. Approximately 10% of healthy horses carry the S. aureus in their nostrils. A smaller number, maybe 1 to 2 percent are colonized by MRSA in their intestines or on their skin. Click here for the complete article in Performance Horse, and then click on "An Emerging Threat".
The widespread use of antibiotics in both humans and horses are at the base of the problem. The bacteria becomes resistant to antibiotics and then we have limited resources to fight it.
To avoid an MRSA infection, you should not give your horse antibiotics multiple times throughout the year. Hand washing is important, because if there is an infection, it can be carried from horse to horse, or even from horse to handler. Arm yourself with knowledge about MRSA as it relates to you and your horse. Having personally experienced it with a family member, I sure don't want to ever see it again!
