Evolution of in vitro antimicrobial resistance in an equine hospital over 3 decades

This study identified antimicrobial resistance patterns of commonly isolated bacteria at the Equine Hospital of the Université de Montréal between 2007 and 2013, and compared the results with the resistance patterns observed in tests performed in previous decades in the same hospital. A total of 396 antimicrobial susceptibility tests were analyzed by the Kirby-Bauer method during the period 2007 to 2013 and compared to 233 and 255 tests completed in 1986 to 1988 and 1996 to 1998, respectively. The most common bacteria were Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) and Escherichia coli. Except for resistance of coagulase-positive staphylococci to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, there was no overall increase in resistance observed between 1986 to 1988 and 2007 to 2013 for antimicrobials reported for all 3 periods. However, between 1996 to 1998 and 2007 to 2013, there was an increase in in vitro resistance to enrofloxacin for E. coli and Enterobacter spp., and to ceftiofur for Enterobacter spp. and coagulase-positive staphylococci. No increase in resistance was observed for S. zooepidemicus and no isolate was resistant to penicillin.