Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Are dogs and cats in Switzerland carrying drug-resistant germs?
By Dazio, Valentina et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2021·Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Acquisition and carriage of multidrug-resistant organisms in dogs and cats presented to small animal practices and clinics in Switzerland.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study in Switzerland looked at how dogs and cats can carry multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO), which are germs that are hard to treat with antibiotics. Researchers examined 183 dogs and 88 cats when they arrived at veterinary clinics and again when they were discharged. They found that 15.5% of pets had these resistant germs when they were admitted, and this number increased to 32.1% by the time they left the hospital. The study identified specific types of resistant bacteria that were common, particularly in pets that stayed longer in the hospital. Overall, the findings suggest that veterinary hospitals can contribute to the spread of these resistant germs among pets.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) present a threat to human and animal health. OBJECTIVES: To assess acquisition, prevalence of and risk factors for MDRO carriage in dogs and cats presented to veterinary clinics or practices in Switzerland. ANIMALS: Privately owned dogs (n = 183) and cats (n = 88) presented to 4 veterinary hospitals and 1 practice. METHODS: Prospective, longitudinal, observational study. Oronasal and rectal swabs were collected at presentation and 69% of animals were sampled again at discharge. Methicillin-resistant (MR) staphylococci and macrococci, cephalosporinase-, and carbapenemase-producing (CP) Enterobacterales were isolated. Genetic relatedness of isolates was assessed by repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction and multilocus sequence typing. Risk factors for MDRO acquisition and carriage were analyzed based on questionnaire-derived and hospitalization data. RESULTS: Admission prevalence of MDRO carriage in pets was 15.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 11.4-20.4). The discharge prevalence and acquisition rates were 32.1% (95% CI, 25.5-39.3) and 28.3% (95% CI, 22-35.4), respectively. Predominant hospital-acquired isolates were extended spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-E coli; 17.3%) and β-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.7%). At 1 institution, a cluster of 24 highly genetically related CP (blaand bla) was identified. Multivariate analysis identified hospitalization at clinic 1 (odds ratio [OR], 5.1; 95% CI, 1.6-16.8) and days of hospitalization (OR 3-5 days, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.8-10.9; OR > 5 days, 6.2; 95% CI, 1.3-28.8) as risk factors for MDRO acquisition in dogs. CONCLUSIONS: Veterinary hospitals play an important role in the selection and transmission of MDRO among veterinary patients.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33527554/