Raw dog food could be the source of the spread of dangerous superbugs

Raw dog food contains alarming amounts of antibiotic resistant bacteria, mdo it underestimated “International risk to public health”, according to a new study.

Scientists, including those with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have informed against the emerging trend to feed raw food to pets, citing the risk of spreading germs as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. New research presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) highlights another danger posed by raw pet foods: exposure to multipledrug-resistant bacteria.

The team found shattering levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in dozens of dog food products from grocery and pet stores in Portugal. Some of these superbugs turned out to be the same as those documented in European hospital patients, potentially exposing dog food as an “international public health risk,” as Ana Freitas, study co-author and researcher at the University of Porto in Portugal, said in one Press release.

Drug resistant bacteria are a significant health risk because they Make much more dangerous minor scrapes and infections and sometimes even life threatening. Figures provided by the World Health Organization show that around 700,000 people worldwide die from these superbugs each year, and this is a problem it will only get worse. TWHO estimates that by 2050, 10 million people will die each year fromdrug-resistant germs. Hence the importance of identifying the source of these pathogens and find ways to prevent their continued spread.

“Raw meat-Plant-based diets are increasingly popular for feeding dogs, but the extent of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in raw dog foods is rarely discussed globally, ”the scientists wrote in a report. research letter published by the CDC.

To fill this knowledge gap, the team analyzed 55 dog food samples from stores in Portugal. These samples included 25 international and national brands and were classified as wet, dry, semi-wet, candy and raw frozen, the latter including foods such as duck, salmon, poultry, lamb, goose, beef and vegetables.

Of these samples, 54% contained traces of Enterococci. This bacterium is present in the human intestines and vaginal tract, as well as in soil and water, but it can “be spread from person to person through contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment or by the spread of from person to person, often with contaminated hands ”. according to at the CDC.

Enterococci is increasingly tolerant of antibiotics including vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid. In 2017, resistant to vancomycin Enterococci has been responsible for approximately 54,500 infections and 5,400 deaths in US health care facilities.

All raw dog foods sampled in the study contained multidrug-resistant Enterococci, while only three non-crude samples contained the bacteria. Over 40% of Enterococci have been shown to be resistant to common antibiotics, such as erythromycin and tetracycline, as well as latest-resort to antibiotics such as vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid.

The “diversity and rate” of Enterococci was “unexpectedly high,” the scientists wrote in the research letter. Genetic sequencing confirmed that some of the germs were of the same type found in hospital patients in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands, as well as in livestock and sewage in the UK. A related study from the same team, details of which were also presented at the online meeting, suggests genes associated with severaldrug-resistant bacteria are transmitted to humans through dog food.

Another team from Portugal presented evidence to the same meeting showing that the mcr-1 gene, which helps bacteria resist antibiotics– is transmitted between humans and their pets. This research paper, which has yet to be submitted to a scientific review, presents a “nightmare scenario” in which mcr-1 “combines with bacteria already resistant to drugs to create a truly incurable infection,” according to one. Press release.

Freitas and colleagues warn that raw dog food could be an emerging vehicle for transmission of antibiotic resistance, and this is because this type of food consists of many raw ingredients from different sources, including animals. livestock involved in intensive agriculture, they write. “European authorities must raise awareness of the potential health risks when feeding pets raw food and manufacturing dog food, including ingredient selection and hygiene practices, must be reviewed “, said Freitas in the Release.

As for dog owners, they should wash their hands with soap and water immediately after handling pet food and after collecting dog poop, she added.

Good advice. And even better, stop feeding your pets raw meat.