Gestures of care, but also simple cuddles exchanged with the house pet, from 'kisses' to caresses, could hide uncalculated infectious diseases. In fact, it seems that i dogs and cats can transmit antibiotic-resistant bacteria to their human friends. The point is made by a study that has collected evidence of this passage of 'superbugs' between sick Fido and Puss and healthy human roommates in Portugal and the United Kingdom, discovering that both the animals and the men of each infected 'family' taken into examination were carriers of the same resistant bacteria and shining a spotlight on whether pets can act as reservoirs of resistance to vital drugs and therefore encourage its diffusion.
I study
The prospective longitudinal study involved 5 cats, 38 dogs and 78 humans from 43 families in Portugal and 22 dogs and 56 humans from others 22 families in the UK. Principal investigator Juliana Menezes, from the Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory of the Interdisciplinary Research Center on Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, together with colleagues tested skin swabs and stool and urine samples from participants to detect Enterobacterales (large family of bacteria which includes Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) resistant to common antibiotics.
According to the work, presented for the Escmid Global Congress in Barcelona (27-30 April), it was not possible to prove the direction of transmission, but in 3 of the houses at the center of the research in Portugal the timing of positive tests for the blood-producing bacteria Esbl/AmpC strongly suggested that, at least in these cases, the bacteria were passed from the pet (2 dogs and a cat) to the human.
The dangers linked to superbugs
Antibiotic resistance, experts remind us, is reaching dangerously high levels throughout the world. Superbug infections kill more than 1.2 million people a year globally, a figure destined to rise to 10 million by 2050 if no action is taken.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this is one of the greatest threats to public health. “Recent research – explains Menezes – indicates that “Superbug” transmission between humans and animals, including domestic ones, plays a critical role in maintaining resistance levelschallenging the traditional belief that humans are the primary carriers of these pathogens into the community.”
“Understanding and addressing the transmission” of superbugs “from pets to humans” is therefore “essential to effectively combat antimicrobial resistance in both human and animal populations”, continues the expert. Menezes and colleagues focused their study on bacteria resistant to third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems (part of the last line of defense when other antibiotics have failed). All humans in the study were healthy, while all pets had skin and soft tissue infections or urinary tract infections.
In Portugal, one dog (out of 43 pets, 2.3%) was colonized by a multidrug-resistant E. coli strain producing Oxa-181, an enzyme that confers resistance to carbapenems. Three cats and 21 dogs (of 24, 55.8%) and 28 owners (of 78, 35.9%) harbored Esbl/AmpC-producing Enterobacterales, which are resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. In 5 families, one with a cat and 4 with dogs, both the pet and the owner carried Esbl/AmpC-producing bacteria.
Genetic analysis showed that the strains were the same, indicating that the bacteria were transmitted between the pet and the owner. In one of these 5 families, a dog and its owner also had the same strain of antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. In the UK, one dog (out of 22 pets, 14.3%) was colonized with two strains of multidrug-resistant E.coli producing Ndm-5 beta-lactamase, resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, carbapenems and several other families of antibiotics. Esbl/AmpC-producing Enterobacterales were isolated from 8 dogs and 3 owners (36.4% and 12.5%). In two families, both the dog and the owner carried the same Esbl/AmpC-producing bacteria.
“Our results – observes Menezes – highlight the importance of include families who own pets in national programs that monitor levels of antibiotic resistance. Finding out more about domestic animal resistance would aid the development of informed and targeted interventions to safeguard both animal and human health.”
Are kisses and caresses dangerous?
The bacteria can be transmitted between pets and humans through kisses and caresses, in general by touching your 4-legged friend, and through handling feces. To prevent transmission, researchers recommend that owners practice a good hygiene, including washing your hands after petting your dog or cat and after handling its waste. “When your pet is unwell, you should consider isolating it in one room to prevent the spread of bacteria throughout the house and carefully cleaning the other rooms”, adds Menezes, recalling that all the dogs and cats in the study have been successfully treated for their infections. The owners, not having an infection, did not need treatment.
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