HESTEFORSK Antibiotics in horse breeding- a double-edged sword threatening horses in the future?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a slow threat not only to human health but also to equine health and the horse breeding system of today. It is a slow but steadily growing problem that, in the future could potentially render antibiotics ineffective, leading to untreatable infections. We will conduct a joint Norwegian and Swedish project with the aim to generate knowledge and establish a reference point regarding the occurrence of resistant bacteria and understand the biosecurity and hygiene practices that may prevent the spread and development AMR. The objective of the first work package (WP1) is to evaluate antibiotic use and resistant bacteria retrospectively, while the objective of the second WP(2) is to screen for AMR in the general horse population, with 250 samples per country. The objective of the third WP(3) is to understand biosecurity and antibiotic use at stud farms, while the objective of the fourth WP(4) is to map the occurrence and the risk factors for AMR in mares at the stud farms, including in total 120 resident brood mares and 120 maiden mares. We will focus on Enterobacteriaceae with resistance to extended spectrum cephalosporins and carbapenems, a type of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria, which will be cultured using sensitive differentiating methods, and the MDR bacteria detected will be further characterized using comprehensive genome sequencing. In the stud-farms screening for MRSA will also be conducted. Antibiotic use practice in general, and for gynaecological conditions especially, will be described using the national prescription registries, and a questionnaire will be used to assess practices related to biosecurity, hygiene and antibiotic treatments on the stud farms specifically. WP1: Patterns of antibiotic use and resistance in uterine isolates WP2: ESBL in horses in Sweden and Norway WP3: Antibiotic use, biosecurity and hygiene WP4: AMR in stud farms