Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are being transmitted between pet dogs and cats and their owners.
A joint UK-Portuguese study, which will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Denmark, found that six pets in Portugal and one in the UK were carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria similar to those found in their owners.
This highlights the importance of incorporating pet-owning households into efforts to reduce the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Antibiotic resistance has reached dangerously high levels worldwide, with drug-resistant infections causing an estimated 700,000 deaths per year.
The World Health Organisation has classified antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest public health threats facing humanity, with the number of deaths expected to rise to 10 million by 2050 if no action is taken.
Researchers Juliana Menezes and colleagues from the Antibiotic Resistance Lab at the Centre of Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal, aimed to determine if pets treated with antibiotics for infections were sharing antibiotic-resistant pathogens with their owners.
The team collected and analysed fecal samples from dogs, cats and their owners for Enterobacterales, a large family of bacteria that includes E. coli and Klebsiella pneumonias, which are resistant to common antibiotics.
The study involved 43 households in Portugal, with five cats, 38 dogs and 78 humans, and seven households in the UK, with seven dogs and eight humans.
In Portugal, 24 pets and 28 owners were found to harbour bacteria resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, critically important antibiotics for human medicine.
In eight households, both pets and owners were carrying the resistant bacteria, with DNA analysis suggesting that the bacteria were probably passed between the animals and humans. However, the direction of transfer remains unclear.
In the UK, similar findings were observed, with one dog and its owner carrying bacteria resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, carbapenems, and several other families of antibiotics.
“In this study, we provide evidence that bacteria resistant to third-generation cephalosporins, critically important antibiotics, are being passed from pets to their owners," said Juliana Menezes, a doctorate student.
Ms Menezes emphasised the importance of including pets in assessments of antimicrobial resistance and suggested that pet owners can reduce the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria by practicing good hygiene, such as washing their hands after collecting their pet's waste and even after petting them.
This research underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to combat antibiotic resistance that not only involves human healthcare but also includes our pets.
By understanding the pathways through which antibiotic-resistant bacteria are transmitted, more effective strategies can be developed to slow the spread of these superbugs and protect both human and animal health.
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
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How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
Lexus LX700h specs
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