Antibiotic resistance blamed on sick pets

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Published Nov 20, 2015

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London - Pet owners who fail to follow their vet's advice when giving medicines to their animals are increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance in bacteria that can infect people, Public Health England (PHE) has warned.

Amid growing concern over the dangers of antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA, campylobacter, salmonella, and E.coli, people with sick pets are being urged to ensure they use antibiotics strictly as directed by the government health body.

Infections caused by resistant bacteria are a major threat to human and animal health, with treatment options increasingly limited, PHE has warned together with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and the Bella Moss Foundation animal charity.

“Many people do not realise that antibiotic resistant bacteria can pass between humans and animals and vice versa,” said Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope, pharmacist lead for PHE's antimicrobial resistance programme.

“It's really important that we educate all pet owners that it is not just humans who can be affected by antibiotic-resistant bugs; animals are also at risk.” She added: “It is important that the antibiotics are taken as prescribed... Even if your pet isn't keen on the idea of taking tablets, we are urging pet owners to ensure they do.”

One in four dogs and cats are prescribed antibiotics after a visit to the vets, according to BSAVA, which is now funding research look at levels of antibiotic resistance.

Overall several hundred tons of antibiotics are given to animals in Britain each year, with 418 tons used in 2013, according to the Government. This is not far short of the 531 tons used for people that year.

The British government does not record data on antibiotic resistant infections in pets, but the dangers in farm animals have already become clear. Salmonella which is resistant to ampicillin has been found in 76 percent of pigs, and streptomycin-resistant salmonella has been detected in 77 percent of turkeys. And two-thirds of farm animals generally - including cattle, sheep, pigs, turkeys and chickens - have ampicillin-resistant E.coli, according to a PHE report released earlier this year.

British pet owners are now being urged to become “antibiotic guardians” in an attempt to raise awareness of the proper use of antibiotics.

This comes after the All Party Parliamentary Group on Antibiotics released a report last month calling for the non-medical use of antibiotics to be “examined” and for any non-essential use to be “halted.”

Jill Moss, founder of the Bella Moss Foundation, a charity dealing with antibiotic resistance in pets, said: “These potentially fatal infections can travel from humans to pets and back again, and we could all be at risk unless we make a concerted effort to use these precious drugs responsibly - in people and the pets we love.”

Dr Tim Nuttall, from the Royal School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh, told The Independent: “Antibiotic resistance affects both human and veterinary healthcare... A lot of the organisms that we see in animals and humans are very similar if not identical, as are a lot of the drugs that we use.”

The Independent

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