How could anything so cute be so dangerous?

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top ten global public health threats facing humanity.¹

Ironically, humans are to blame; yet, in recent years, the increase of AMR strains in animals, specifically companion animals, has also risen.

Today, leading animal veterinarian organizations are calling on veterinarians, producers, breeders and pet owners to help in the fight against AMR in animals.

Furthermore, in its 2020 report, the American Veterinary Medical Association Committee on Antimicrobials raises awareness on the threat of antimicrobial resistance affecting animal health and encourages action to address the threat.²

Consequently, several studies have found carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in pets, including dogs and cats, as well as in veterinary hospital settings.

A study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy in 2017 found 8% of dogs and cats tested in veterinary clinics in the United States were infected or carriers of CRE strains.

Another study published in the same journal in 2019 found 1.6% of dogs and cats tested in the Netherlands had CRE. Not surprisingly, there are concerns pets with CRE infections may spread these bacteria to humans, because of the ways in which we share our homes and lives with companion animals.³

Another study showed humans and companion animals readily exchange methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); sharing is not unidirectional but flows back and forth between pets and humans.⁴

There is also evidence to suggest Candida, a type of yeast, may be increasing in pets in recent years. Several factors may contribute to an increase in Candida in pets. These include changes in diet, increased use of antimicrobials and other medications which may compromise an animal’s natural microbiota, and increased exposure to environmental toxins.

More research and surveillance are needed to capture the prevalence of potentially antimicrobial resistant pathogens in companion pets. This is especially critical considering the use of therapy animals which may visit hospitals, nursing homes, or patient care centers where immunocompromised patients reside.

Measures to reduce unnecessary or misused antimicrobial therapy in pets may help reduce the incidence of antimicrobial resistance. This could include establishing infection prevention programs and developing antimicrobial stewardship plans in veterinary settings.

In the meantime, veterinarians can reduce the potential for antimicrobial resistance by prescribing antimicrobials only when necessary; implementing infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship programs in veterinary settings; and using diagnostic testing to guide treatment decisions.

Another source of resistant organisms is uncooked raw pet food.

A study done in Portugal found that all of the 25 brands tested were contaminated with antibiotic resistant Enterococcus, with some strains being resistant to colistin and linezolid, which are considered to be "drugs of last resort." Genetic sequencing revealed that some of these antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the raw dog food were the same kind found in hospital patients.(5)

Hardy Diagnostics has a complete offering of diagnostic testing platforms for use in veterinarian settings. Please click here to access the complete catalog. 

Below are just a few products that may be of interest:

HardyCHROM Hurbi (Cat. No. J100)

Blood Agar, 5%/MacConkey Biplate (Cat. No J32)

HardyCHROM™ CRE (Cat. No. G323) shown in th

HardyCHROM™ MRSA (Cat. No. G307)

HardyCHROM™ Candida (Cat. No G301)

Mueller Hinton Agar 100mm plate (Cat. No. G45)

Mueller Hinton Agar 150 mm plate (Cat. No. H11)

HardyDisks™ AST and Susceptibility Testing Products

References: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5