Evaluation of re-used medicinal leeches as a potential source for nosocomial MDR bacterial infections in canines.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Leech therapy is commonly used in medicine as a treatment for venous congestion. Since a concern with reusing leeches is potential spread of infections, it is recommended to discard leeches after use. If a leech harbored bacteria from one patient in its gastrointestinal (GI) tract, it could transmit them to another patient, potentially, serving as a vector for multidrug resistant (MDR) infections. The objectives of this study were to determine if MDRcan be transmitted from inoculated blood into a leech, how long can the bacteria can persist within the leech and its environment, and if leeches can transmit the bacteria during refeeding. ANIMALS: 63 leeches were split into eight treatment groups and one control group. METHODS: Treatment leeches were fed canine blood inoculated with an MDR strain ofwhile control leeches were fed clean canine blood. Cultures were obtained at 1 day, 1 week, and 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-months post-inoculation. Culture samples were taken from the aquarium water, GI contents, and blood that the leeches were allowed to refeed on. Cultures were evaluated for the presence of RESULTS: All water samples were negative except for one tank at 7 days after feeding. After 2 and 3 months, all GI tracts and blood meal samples were negative, respectively. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Leeches will harbor MDRafter inoculation. This bacterium is not detectable in the water after 7 days or in the leech and blood meal after 3 months. Further studies should be conducted to determine the reproducibility of these results given the novel complications identified throughout the course of our study.