Dogs and cats may be responsible for spreading antibiotic-resistant bacteria to humans, according to a study presented at the ESCMID Global Congress (formerly ECCMID) in Barcelona, Spain (27-30 April).
The authors found evidence that multidrug-resistant bacteria can transfer between sick cats and dogs and their healthy humans, raising concerns that pets can increase drug resistance to vital medicines.
Antibiotic resistance kills more than 1.2 million people every year, and this figure is projected to reach 10 million by 2050 if no action is taken. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest public health threats facing humanity at the moment.
“Recent research indicates that the transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacteria between humans and animals, including pets, is crucial in maintaining resistance levels, challenging the traditional belief that humans are the main carriers of AMR bacteria in the community,” said Juliana Menezes, from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon. “Understanding and addressing the transmission of AMR bacteria from pets to humans is essential for effectively combating antimicrobial resistance in both human and animal populations.”
The team tested faecal and urine samples and skin swabs collected from dogs, cats, and their owners for Enterobacterales (a family of bacteria including E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) resistant to common antibiotics.
They focused on bacteria resistant to cephalosporins (meds used to treat a broad range of conditions, including meningitis, pneumonia, and sepsis) and carbapenems (used when other antibiotics have failed). The study included five cats, 38 dogs, and 78 humans from 43 households in Portugal, as well as 22 dogs and 56 humans from 22 households in the UK.
In both Portugal and the UK, pets and their owners had the same strains of drug-resistant bacteria, indicating that the bacteria passed from pet to owner. “Our findings underline the importance of including pet-owning households in national programmes that monitor levels of antibiotic resistance. Learning more about the resistance in pets would aid in the development of informed and targeted interventions to safeguard both animal and human health,” said Menezes.
Bacteria can transfer between humans and their pets by petting, touching, kissing, or handling their faeces. The authors recommend good hygiene to stop this transmission, including washing hands after petting their pet or handling their waste. “When your pet is unwell, consider isolating them in one room to prevent the spread of bacteria throughout the house and clean the other rooms thoroughly,” added Menezes.
By the end of the study, all cats and dogs were successfully treated, and owners did not have infections and so did not need treatment.