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

Active MDRO surveillance with automated alerts and multidisciplinary consultation supports stewardship and infection control in veterinary hospitals.

This study describes the development and outcomes of a multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) surveillance program implemented at a veterinary teaching hospital over a two-year period (2023–2024). A total of 1,599 antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed on 1,534 bacterial cultures, with MDRO prevalence increasing from 6.8% in 2023 to 10.2% in 2024. Among 239 MDROs identified in 212 unique patients, the most frequently detected organisms were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus intermedius group (29.3%) and multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli (20.9%). Of 28 patients with multiple cultures, 50% had persistent identical MDROs, 8 had persistent polymicrobial MDRO infections, and 6 harbored different MDROs across sampling timepoints. The surveillance system was designed to trigger automatic medical record alerts upon MDRO detection, prompt direct communication with the clinician of record, and distribute client-facing educational materials. The program also facilitated multidisciplinary case consultations to guide treatment decisions and infection control measures. This data-driven, structured approach demonstrates that active MDRO surveillance in a companion animal hospital setting is feasible and clinically impactful. The rising prevalence of MDROs over the study period underscores the urgent need for robust antimicrobial stewardship programs in veterinary medicine, particularly given the public health implications of zoonotic transmission and the growing challenge of managing resistant infections in hospitalized companion animals.

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