The purpose of this article is to ‘fact check’ or put some sensible reality into what I would consider to be sensationalist headlines in the news media about a study (which I can’t find sadly on the Internet) which according to the news media states that antibiotic-resistant superbugs are jumping from cats and dogs to humans and present a genuine and severe health problem to people in general. It is a story about zoonoses (zoonotic diseases).
Phys.org states:
Evidence that multidrug-resistant bacteria are being passed between pet cats and dogs and their owners will be presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) in Copenhagen, Denmark (15-18 April).
Comment: this is saying that there is hard evidence that the bugs are being transmitted. But other news media reports say that the study ‘suggests’ that it is happening.
If you drill down into news media stories and read them carefully – without reference to the original study which I can’t find – you’d see that the following facts emerge:
The study involved 5 cats, 38 dogs, 78 humans 43 households in Portugal and 22 dogs and 56 humans in 22 households in the UK. In all, therefore, 65 households were involved in this study.
The study found that in five of the households, one with a cat and four with dogs, both the companion animal and the owner were found to be carrying the same germ species, a bacteria called Enterobacterales. This SUGGESTS that the bacteria was passed between companion animal and owner.
I would like to restate that. In less than 10% of the homes and in five of the companion animals (also less than 10% of the animals) the study suggests that a particular species or ‘family’ of germs were transmitted from as a cat or dog to their human companion. The word “suggests” is I think very important. It is inconclusive as to whether the bacteria passed from that to human.
Also, the articles state that all the humans in the study were healthy. This is contradictory to the general tenor of the articles.
The headline should reflect this vagueness and uncertainty. Of course, if news media did reflect this uncertainty, the article would be less attractive to readers. Ultimately it is a lot to do with click bait. The Internet is highly competitive. You have to try and attract people to your article.
If there is a transmission of these antibiotic resistant superbugs from pets to people it apparently happens when companion animal care givers kiss, touch or pet their animals. Sometimes it might be because they handle faeces when cleaning out a litter tray. This is a well-known issue regarding cat caregiving. It is a reference, I believe, to the transmission of toxoplasmosis from cats to people via cat faeces as Toxoplasma gondii oocysts are passed by domestic cats for a short time in their lives through their faeces.
The research was carried out by student Juliana Menezes from the Antibiotic Resistance Lab at the University of Lisbon. She said:
Understanding and addressing the transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) bacteria from pets to humans is essential for effectively combating antimicrobial resistance in both human and animal populations. 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.
RELATED: Mail Online’s clickbait title about domestic cat zoonoses is irresponsible
