Researcher: Bacteria Evenly Distributed Across Horses’ Bodies

Residing in horses’ skin are microorganisms known as skin flora–generally nonpathogenic bacteria that can cause skin disease, joint infections, and life-threatening illnesses if they enter the bloodstream or a joint, such as through an incision in the skin. According to the results of a recent study performed by researchers at Colorado State University’s (CSU) College of Veterinary Medicine and
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Residing in horses' skin are microorganisms known as skin flora–generally nonpathogenic bacteria that can cause skin disease, joint infections, and life-threatening illnesses if they enter the bloodstream or a joint, such as through an incision in the skin. According to the results of a recent study performed by researchers at Colorado State University's (CSU) College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the different species of skin flora are distributed evenly across a horse's body.

This finding indicates that veterinarians should use the same method of preventive treatment to inhibit infection from skin flora before a horse has undergoes surgery, regardless of the location of the surgical incision. Pre-surgery, veterinarians often use antimicrobial prophylaxis (to prevent the growth or spread of infection) to regulate skin flora before serious infection occurs, and generally focus treatment around the area of the incision.

Mackenzie K. Adams, BA, a fourth-year veterinary student at CSU, under the supervision of Dean A. Hendrickson, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, professor of large animal surgery and director of the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VTH), wanted to determine if equine practitioners should select different preventive treatments based on incision location, due to the common belief that certain bacteria types concentrate in particular sites on the horse's body.

The researchers examined approximately 200 typical skin samples from the mid-thorax (chest) and the dorsal aspect of nine different joints of 20 client-owned horses admitted to the VTH for routine elective surgery during the summer of 2008. The joint samples taken from each horse included the front and hind coffin joints, fetlocks, knees, elbows, shoulders, hocks, and stifles. These samples were cultured, grown in an aerobic environment (in the presence of oxygen), and the bacteria were grouped into three clinically relevant categories: Gram-positive versus Gram-negative, coliform (fecal bacteria) versus noncoliform, and common septic arthritis pathogens versus uncommon septic arthritis pathogens

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