Cats and dogs are spreading dangerous antibiotic-resistant ‘superbugs’ to their owners, study finds

DOGS and cats are spreading drug-resistant “superbugs” to their owners, a study suggests.

The antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be passed between sick pets and their healthy owners in Britain, Portuguese researchers found.

You should try and keep your dog or cat in one room if they feel unwell and make sure you clean the house to prevent the spread of the global threat, they said.

Lead researcher Juliana Menezes, of the University of Lisbon, said: “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.

“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.”

Antibiotic-resistant superbugs kill over 1million people globally each year, with the World Health Organization warning the planet is heading for a “post-antibiotic” era.

Projections show that antimicrobial resistance could claim 10million lives annually by 2050 and the WHO classes it as one of the greatest public health threats facing humanity.

The spread of superbugs can make regular infections and routine surgeries life-threatening.

Ms Menezes said: “Recent research indicates that the transmission of antimicrobial resistance bacteria between humans and animals, including pets, is crucial in maintaining resistance levels. 

“This challenges the traditional belief that humans are the main carriers of AMR bacteria in the community.

“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 latest study, presented at ESCMID Global Congress, tested faecal and urine samples and skin swabs from dogs and cats and their owners.

They looked for Enterobacterales — a large family of bacteria which includes E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae — resistant to common antibiotics.

Researchers looked at five cats, 38 dogs and 78 humans from 43 households in Portugal and 22 dogs and 56 humans from 22 households in the UK.

All of the humans were healthy.  All of the pets had skin and soft tissue infections or urinary tract infections.

Three cats and 21 dogs and 28 owners had Enterobacterales that were resistant to third generation cephalosporins.

In five households, one home with a cat and four with dogs, both pet and owner were carrying resistant bacteria. 

Genetic analysis showed the strains to be the same, indicating that the bacteria passed between pet and owner.

In one of these five households, a dog and owner also had the same strain of antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae.

It wasn’t possible to prove the direction of transmission but the timing of the positive tests strongly suggest the bacteria were being passed from pet to human in some cases, researchers said.