Government study to check pet dog and cat poo for superbugs

The British government will soon ask many cat and dog owners to collect and send their animal’s poop for laboratory tests.

Experts fear that some domestic animals will transport superbulars that are difficult to treat – bacteria that have become resistant to current antibiotics.

The first global study will monitor pets in good health, not just those who are sick, to identify which bugs could be a threat.

They can spread to people by close contact with pets, such as kissing them and frames, as well as poop manipulation, suggests research.

In many cases, bacteria do not harm, but some can cause serious problems, including blood infections or sepsis.

More than half of British adults have pets and live with them in a common environment, which means that bacteria, including resistant bacteria, can easily spread between animals and people, explains the government’s veterinary drugs.

Several studies have shown that pets and owners can potentially exchange pathogens, including the “Superbug” SRM of the hospital.

The Rural College of Scotland will put the study over four years.

Professor John Berezowski, who is one of the researchers, said that they would work with animal owners and their veterinarians to explore the best way to take all coca samples.

“This initiative is essential for a better understanding of the transmission and maintenance of antimicrobial resistance in our pets,” he said.

The World Health Organization classifies resistance to antibiotics as one of the greatest public health threats that humanity is confronted.

Medicines resistant infections kill more than 1.2 million people per year worldwide, the figure that should reach 10 million by 2050 if no measure is taken, he said.

To avoid transmission, experts recommend owners to practice good hygiene, in particular by washing their hands after the caress of their dog or cat and after having manipulated their waste.

If a pet is not good, the owners could consider isolate them in a room to prevent the spread of bacteria throughout the house and carefully clean other rooms.

Resistance to antimicrobials (AMR) occurs when organisms that cause an infection evolve means to survive the treatments.

Without effective antibiotics, even minor surgery and routine operations, such as cesarean sections during childbirth, could become high -risk procedures if serious infections cannot be treated.