Companion animals and ABR

Studies in Europe have documented a high occurrence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) in dogs living in urban areas (7–23%). Canine VRE isolates generally exhibit resistance to multiple antimicrobials including macrolides and aminoglycosides. In Spain, 23% of surveyed isolates from pets contained VRE. This is considerably higher than the 4% prevalence reported in pigs. A consequence of companion animals’ status as “kin” in many western societies is an emerging reluctance to euthanize seriously ill or injured pets, with owners favouring treatment instead. Hobby farms are a further example of a shifting cultural trend where human–animal–environment relationships are also being reconfigured. It is possible that the tendency to keep animals alive both at home and on hobby farms for longer will increase the chances of resistance as well as transmission due to more intense animal handling practices. 

Photo by Simone Dalmeri on Unsplash