Detection of Bacteria with Potential to Cause Hospital-Associated Infections in a Small-Species Veterinary Hospital in Mexico

Abstract

Hospital-Associated Infections (HAIs) are caused by microorganisms that are not present before patients are admitted to healthcare facilities, and usually have multidrug resistance profiles. There is ample information and active research in human medicine to create preventive and control measures, but there have been fewer efforts in animal medicine, and studies in only a few countries have been examining how this problem presents in veterinary hospitals. In Mexico, there have been no studies on the presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria associated with HAIs in veterinary medicine. Therefore, the surfaces of inanimate objects and equipment in a university veterinary hospital for small species were sampled to search for bacteria with the potential to cause HAIs. After isolation, molecular identification and multidrug resistance tests were carried out. One bacterial strain was found to be resistant to carbapenems, third-generation cephalosporines, and penicillin/β-lactamase inhibitors. Additionally, other susceptible bacterial genera were identified as potential nosocomial pathogens in humans and animals. The presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria was confirmed. Further studies should be conducted to determine the isolate’s origin and its relationship with reported human clinical genotypes. This type of study highlights the importance of epidemiological surveillance and the need to not underestimate the potential risk posed by multidrug-resistant microorganisms.