Is decolonisation feasible?
Decolonisation can be attempted in persistently colonised animals. Decolonisation of humans of¬ten involves 3-5 days intranasal fucidin or mupirocin and chlorhexidine washes, and then three negative screens 2-5 days apart, with repeated cycles if necessary. Treatment results in clearance in 91-99% of patients but re-colonisation rates are up to 26%. Recent reports suggest that suc¬cessful decolonisation in dogs requires much longer courses of treatment; 2-3 weeks can be re¬quired in some cases. Treatment options include antibacterial shampoos and 2% fusidate/fusidic acid (Fucithalmic®; Fucidin® (NB not licensed for animals) or 2% mupirocin (Bactroban® Nasal; NB not licensed for animals) intranasally 2-3 times daily. Other antibiotics may be appropriate de¬pending on the sensitivity pattern. There are also concerns about the risks of inducing resistance to these drugs – Scandinavian countries have banned the use of mupirocin in animals, and the Health Protection Agency and Department of
