A study from Portugal has shown that the equine mouth may harbor more bacteria than previously thought. Researchers at University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro took samples from the gum margins of 30 horses across Portugal that had not received antimicrobial drugs in the previous 6 months.
Led by Dr. José Pimenta, the scientists then characterized the oral Gram-negative microbiota in the samples. In total, they found 55 Gram-negative isolates, with 89.5 percent being zoonotic and 62 percent capable of affecting humans.
The phenotypic resistance was higher to macrolides, β-lactams and quinolones, and lower to sulfonamides, tetracyclines, and amphenicols. Interestingly, 51.5 percent of the isolates were resistant to carbapenems, an antimicrobial often used in human medical settings. This can be an issue when treating horse bite wounds that become infected, they report.
Additionally, 96 percent of the isolates were multidrug resistant. The researchers reported that horses are considered reservoirs of multidrug-resistant bacteria; they can spread bacteria found in their mouths throughout the environment, to other animals and to humans through their saliva. Because horses are often transported, the researchers say they have potential for worldwide impact on multidrug resistance transmission.
The scientists state that equine bite wounds should be taken seriously because of the plethora of highly resistant bacteria and its zoonotic capabilities found inside equine mouths.
Read more at HorseTalk.
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