UK/Portuguese study strongly suggests antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” are being passed from cats and dogs to their owners

A study at the ESCMID Global Congress in Barcelona has found evidence of multidrug-resistant bacteria being passed between sick cats and dogs and their healthy owners in Portugal and the UK. This raises concerns that pets can act as reservoirs of resistance and aid in the spread of resistance to vital medicines. Antibiotic resistance is reaching dangerously high levels around the world, with drug-resistant infections killing over 1.2 million people a year and projected to rise to 10 million by 2050 if no action is taken. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest public health threats facing humanity. The study involved five cats, 38 dogs, and 78 humans from 43 households in Portugal and 22 dogs and 56 humans from 22 households in the UK. The findings underline the importance of including pet-owning households in national programmes to combat antimicrobial resistance.