Development and implementation of a multidrug-resistant organism surveillance program in a veterinary teaching hospital to support infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship

Objective: Antimicrobial resistance poses a continued threat in veterinary medicine, with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) increasingly identified in companion animals complicating clinical management, elevating treatment costs, and presenting public health risks. To address the concern of MDROs in hospitalized companion animals, we describe the structure, implementation, and outcomes of a surveillance system in our veterinary teaching hospital. Methods: Culture submissions from 2023 and 2024 were reviewed along with our surveillance response and activities at a Veterinary Medical Center. Results: In 2023 and 2024, 1,599 antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on 1,534 bacterial cultures, with 6.8% and 10.2% of isolates identified as multidrug resistant, respectively. In a 2-year period, 239 MDROs corresponding to 212 unique patients were identified. The most common organisms were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius group (29.3%) and Escherichia coli (20.9%). Patients with multiple cultures collected accounted for 28 of 212 patients (13.2%). Fourteen of 28 patients (50%) had similar persistent MDROs, 8 had persistent polymicrobial MDROs, and 6 had different MDROs. Each MDRO detection triggered an alert in the medical record to employ enhanced infection control measures, communication with the clinician of record, and distribution of client fact sheets. Conclusions: Our approach demonstrates how a structured, data-driven approach can address antimicrobial resistance challenges and support stewardship efforts in a veterinary setting. Clinical Relevance: This program detected MDRO organisms and supported prevention strategies while engaging clinicians to consult with a multidisciplinary team on case management and treatment options.