You cannot catch the common cold or flu from dogs (and vice versa), but pet owners might be in for other troubles. According to a new study, the Campylobacter jejuni outbreak, which causes diarrheal illnesses, has been linked to antibiotic misuse in the commercial dog industry. Among 149 dogs investigated, more than half of the healthy dogs received antibiotics for prevention of bacterial infections. Antibiotic prophylaxis, a technique that is propelling the alarming rise of antibiotic resistance in the pet industry, might be to blame for this multidrug-resistant outbreak.
Labrador Puppies by Christian Mueller
“Antibiotics should only be used to treat illness, not to compensate for poor practices—whether it’s trucking dogs long distances and having poor hygiene in the process along the way…” said Matthew Wellington, the antibiotics program director for U.S. PIRG. “These are lifesaving medicines that should only be used to treat sick animals or sick people.” Likewise, in the video below, Dr. Rajapakse, an infectious diseases specialist states that a whopping 75% of antibiotics in the United States are used in animals and this heavy use of antibiotics encourages antibiotic resistance.
Infectious Diseases A-Z: Antibiotics in Animals by Mayo Clinic
In August, 2017, a multi-state investigation prompted the Florida Department of Health to notify the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of six Campylobacter jejuni infections linked to a national pet store based in Ohio. By February 28, 2018, the CDC identified a total of 118 people from 18 states, including 29 pet store employees that met the definition for Campylobacteriosis. An overwhelming majority – 105 of 106 (99%) infected people – reported having contact with a dog, with 101 (95%) having had exposure to a pet store puppy. The investigation implicated puppies sold through pet stores as the outbreak source.
The authors of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reported, “This outbreak demonstrates that puppies can be a source of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter infections in humans, warranting a closer look at antimicrobial use in the commercial dog industry.”
Antibiotic administration records collected from 20 pet stores in 4 states during the outbreak investigation revealed that 142 of 149 puppies investigated (95%) were given antibiotics prior to or upon arrival to the pet store. Over half the treated puppies were given the drugs not because they were sick, but for prophylaxis only and a mere 1% received antibiotics solely for the purpose of treatment.
Campylobacter jejuni by De Wood (Agricultural Resource Service)
Although the vast majority of antibiotic use occurs in food animal production, the abuse of drugs in the commercial dog industry has been raising concerns of multi-drug resistant pathogens. The CDC have since issued campylobacteriosis prevention recommendations to retail pet stores, such as proper hand-washing techniques and correct use of personal protective equipment. With this outbreak under radar, public health authorities have also advised testing pet store puppies to veterinarians and encouraged pet stores to adhere to antibiotic stewardship programs. Pet owners, pet store employees, clinicians, and the broader scientific community should be aware of the scale of antibiotic use in the pet industry and the risk for Campylobacter transmission from puppies to humans.
Written by: Jocelyn Cheng
