Infectious Disease

ASP program reduces resistant bacterial colonization  among hospitalized adult horses and foals

An antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) proved effective in reducing the colonization of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (AMRb) among horses hospitalized in a teaching hospital in Italy (Equine Vet J. 2026 May 12. doi: 10.1002/evj.70171. Online ahead of print.)

ASPs are common and often mandatory in human hospitals, and have been recommended for veterinary hospitals as a One Health approach to fighting AMR resistance, but data about their ability to reduce resistance, while effectively treating horses have been limited. This study wanted to evaluate the effectiveness of an ASP in reducing the rates of AMRb colonization in a veterinary teaching hospital using clinical audits.

The researchers did several AMR surveillance audits among the perinatology/reproduction and internal medicine units before and after implementation of an ASP. In total, 328 hospitalized horses (foals and adults) were included. The researchers collected nasal and rectal swabs at admission and birth, as well as discharge, euthanasia and death of the horses. They were tested for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRS), third-generation cephalosporin-resistant gram-negative bacteria and carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria.

They found a significant reduction in the AMR bacterial colonization rates in both foals and adults after implementing the APS; they also saw lower rates when they looked at specific bacteria. They found veterinarians were prescribing fewer of the highest priority critically important antibiotics for human and shortened the duration of treatment. In addition, the hospital stays were shorter.
“Results of this audit suggest that the implemented guidelines may have contributed to the reduction of the evaluated AMRb colonization rates,” the authors wrote. They suggested more study was needed, however. MeV