Characterisation of methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> clinical isolates from animals in New Zealand, 2012–2013, and subclinical colonisation in dogs and cats in Auckland

Abstract

In the last decade, the prevalence of human MRSA infections in New Zealand has steadily increased. This is the second published study of MRSA in animals in New Zealand. The results indicate clinical MRSA infection in animals remains sporadic, but the diversification of the strain-types may pose new therapeutic challenges to veterinarians, due to their diverse resistome.