Longitudinal observation of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius pulsotypes in six veterinary hospitals in the north-western United States.

Single strains of MRSP were isolated from various hand-contact and animal-contact surfaces within hospitals, indicating the important role of humans, animals and the environment in MRSP transmission. Additionally, the detection of a single strain between hospitals and over time suggests that either MRSP transmission between hospitals may have occurred via people, animals or fomites or that there was a dominant community strain.