AUTHOR=Sobkowich Kurtis E. , Weese J. Scott , Poljak Zvonimir , Plum Andy , Szlosek Donald , Bernardo Theresa M. 

TITLE=Epidemiology of companion animal AMR in the United States of America: filling a gap in the one health approach

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 11 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1161950

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2023.1161950

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=INTRO: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern that affects all aspects of the One Health Triad, including human, animal, and environmental health. Companion animals, such as cats and dogs, may contribute to the spread of AMR through their close contact with humans and the frequent prescription of antimicrobials. However, research on AMR in companion animals is limited, and there are few surveillance measures in place to monitor the spread of resistant pathogens in the United States of America (USA). METHODS: This study aims to explore the practicality of using data from commercial laboratory antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) services for epidemiological analyses of AMR in companion animals in the United States. RESULTS: The study analyzed 25,147,300 individual AST results from cats and dogs submitted to a large commercial diagnostic laboratory in the USA between 2019 and 2021, and found that resistance to certain antimicrobials was common in both E. coli and S. pseudintermedius strains. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the need for ongoing surveillance of AMR in companion animals and the potential usefulness of AST data for epidemiological purposes.