Dogs and cats carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria also found in people, study finds
Dogs and cats may carry strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a potentially serious bacterium that can cause infections and is also found in humans, according to new research from Bournemouth University published in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases.
A new study conducted by researchers from Bournemouth University and University Hospitals Dorset has found that dogs and cats carry strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae, a bacterium responsible for serious infections in humans. The research, published in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, examined 712 samples of the bacteria collected from dogs and cats in 25 countries and compared them with over 38,000 human genomes.
Around 87% of the bacteria found in the animals belonged to strains also identified in people. While this shared genetic background does not necessarily indicate transmission between pets and owners, the study revealed a high level of antibiotic resistance in the animal-derived samples. Nearly half of the samples carried genes known to confer resistance to clinically important antibiotics, with a particularly high prevalence among cat bacteria (80%) compared to dogs (56%).
One strain, referred to as ST147, showed a close genetic relationship across cats, dogs, and humans, raising concerns about the potential for cross-species transmission. The lead researcher, Dr. Stephen Fordham, emphasized that the study does not imply that pets are making people ill, but it does highlight the importance of including pets in global efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance.
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