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Cat bacteria treats skin infection, study finds
The findings may have positive repercussions in new bacteriotherapies for humans and animals.
Researchers discovered a strand of cat bacteria that is resistant to eczema. 

Healthy cats have a bacteria that produces antibiotics against severe skin infections, a study from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine has found.

Published in eLife, the study, entitled 'Antimicrobials from a feline commensal bacterium inhibit skin infection by drug-resistant S. pseudintermedius' founds that bacteria on healthy cats could be used to treat a skin infection on mice. 

The infection, a bacterium known as Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is commonly found on domesticated animals, and becomes infectious when the animals are sick or injured. 

It is an emerging pathogen, can cause sever atopic dermatitis, and can jump between species. 

Researchers screened a library of bacteria which normally live on dogs and cats and grew them in the presence of MRSP, from this identifying a strain of cat bacteria called Staphylococcus felis (S. felis) that was particularly strong at inhibiting MRSP growth. 

It was discovered that this particular strain of S. felis produces multiple antibiotics naturally, which kill MRSP by disrupting its cell wall and increasing the production of toxic free radicals. 

As bacteria can develop resistance to a single antibiotic very easily, S. felis has four genes which code for four distinct antimicrobial peptides, each of which can kill MRSP on their own, but together, make it particularly difficult for the bacteria to fight back. 

After establishing how S. felis kills the MRSP, the researchers tested it out on mice who had been exposed to the most common form of the pathogen. S. felis bacteria was then added to the same site, and the skin showed a reduction in scaling and redness, and there were fewer viable MRSP bacteria left on the skin of those who has been treated with S. felis.

The study is part of a line of work by Professor Richard L. Gallo and his team, working to develop bacteriotherapies for inflammatory skin diseases and skin cancers, and has potential to lead to new bacteriotherapies for both humans and pets. 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.