%0 Journal Article
%T Antimicrobial resistance in commensal faecal Escherichia coli of hospitalised horses
%A Jill Bryan
%A Nola Leonard
%A S¨Ļamus Fanning
%A Lisa Katz
%A Vivienne Duggan
%J Irish Veterinary Journal
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/2046-0481-63-6-373
%X Since their introduction in the 1930 s, antimicrobials have revolutionised the treatment of infectious disease in human and veterinary patients, significantly enhancing treatment success and outcome. However in recent years it has become obvious that the frequent and sometimes indiscriminate use of these compounds in both human and veterinary medicine has selected for resistance among bacteria with an associated increase in morbidity and mortality from infectious disease [14,15].Antimicrobial use, whether for therapy or prevention of bacterial diseases, will result in selection for antimicrobial resistant micro-organisms by elimination of susceptible bacteria [11]. Resistance is classified as intrinsic (naturally present) or acquired. Acquired resistance can arise because of chromosomal mutation or, more importantly, through the acquisition of transferable genetic material [7]. Following the use of antimicrobial compounds resistance emerges, not only among pathogens but also among the endogenous microflora of animals [22]. Although resistance in these commensal bacteria may be of no consequence in one host species, these organisms may cause disease in other hosts and resistant commensal bacteria can serve as reservoirs of resistance genes [14]. For example, antibiotic-resistant bacteria from animals can colonise or infect humans via occupational exposure or via the food chain and resistance genes can be transferred from bacteria of animal origin to human pathogens in the intestinal flora of humans [22]. In the past decade, infection of patients in human hospitals with antimicrobial-resistant pathogens has become a common occurrence and is now recognised to be of growing concern in veterinary hospitals also. In human medicine, hospitals are considered to be a significant source of resistant bacteria although healthy people living outside hospitals may also be important reservoirs of resistance genes [22,16]. In equine hospitals, outbreaks of disease involving multidr
%K Horse
%K antimicrobial
%K resistance
%K hospitalisation
%K Escherichia coli
%U http://www.irishvetjournal.org/content/63/6/373