The Guide Dog School of the Finnish Federation of
the Visually Impaired provides guide dogs to the blind
and visually impaired in Finland. In 2012–2013, MRSP
was found in routine clinical specimens of three guide
dogs, all suffering from atopic dermatitis. The dogs of the
Guide Dog School constitute a special group of animals;
they are in close contact during training at the Guide Dog
School kennel, after which they are sent all over the country.
During their service years, they also regularly visit
the school’s premises. Thus nationwide risk for spread of
resistant bacteria is a valid concern. Due to these factors
it was decided that the epidemiology of MRSP and MRSA
needed to be determined in this population. The present
study was conducted (1) to establish the prevalence of
MRSP and MRSA in the Finnish guide dog population,
(2) to genotype and compare isolates from the Guide Dog
School’s dog population and (3) to detect risk factors for
carriage of MRSP.