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Dogs and cats pass on antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ to their owners, a new study has found. These results were presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from April 15-18. The point of view of Dr Pierre Fabing, emergency veterinarian and author of “Have you called the vet?” published by Albin Michel.
This is a study that may cause some concern for dog and cat owners. According to the results of work carried out by English and Portuguese scientists, pets have been identified as carriers of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, which they transmit to their owners.
An analysis of the stools of animals and their owners
Dogs, cats and other pets are already known to contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistant pathogens that can cause disease in humans. But until now, there was no evidence that infected animals actually shared these bacteria with their owners. This is now the case, thanks to the work carried out by these Portuguese scientists.
Their study involved 43 families in Portugal, with five cats, 38 dogs and 78 humans, and seven families in the UK, with seven dogs and eight humans. Scientists collected and analyzed fecal samples from dogs, cats and their owners to detect Enterobacteriaceae, a large family of bacteria that includes pneumonia E.coli And Klebsiella pneumoniaewhich are resistant to common antibiotics.
Additionally, they searched for carbapenem-resistant bacteria, used as a last line of defense when all others failed.
A transfer of bacteria from animals to humans
Results: of the whole group, three cats, 21 dogs and 28 owners tested positive for bacteria resistant to the main third-generation cephalosporins. DNA analysis suggests that the bacteria were likely transmitted between animals and humans. How this could have been done remains unclear, however for specialists.
Dr. Menezes, PhD student at the University of Lisbon explains: “In this study, we provide evidence that bacteria resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, critically important antibiotics, are transmitted from pets to their owners. Dogs and cats can contribute to the spread and persistence of these bacteria in the community and it is vitally important that they are included in antimicrobial resistance assessments“.
Resistant infections cause many deaths
For the scientist,owners can reduce the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria by following good hygiene rules, including washing their hands after picking up their dog’s or cat’s feces and even after petting them“.
It should be remembered that drug-resistant infections cause the death of around 700,000 people every year worldwide. A figure that should reach 10 million by 2050 if no action is taken. the World Health Organization (WHO) considers this phenomenon to be “one of the greatest public health threats facing humanity“.
The opinion of Dr Pierre Fabing, emergency veterinarian
“Man and animals share many similarities. A man can contract certain animal diseases and vice versa. It is therefore not surprising to see that certain bacterial resistance to antibiotics is transmitted between humans and animals. It is for this reason that certain so-called critically important antibiotics (in particular certain cephalosporins) have seen their use in veterinary medicine greatly reduced or outright prohibited by Decree No. 2016-301 relating to the prescription of critically important antibiotics. The prescription of antibiotics must be done in a reasoned way, only when necessary and if possible with a preliminary antibiogram (in particular when there is suspicion of resistance or a desire to use a critical antibiotic). Good practice guides have been put in place to guide veterinarians towards this rational use. This study shows, like the Covid crisis, the importance of the “One Health” concept which promotes a unified approach to animal and environmental public health..