Feeding dogs raw meat increases risk of antibiotic-resistant E. coli

E. coliIt can cause food poisoning and is the most common cause of urinary tract and blood infections in the UK, which can be life-threatening. Ciprofloxacin belongs to a group of antibiotics called fluoroquinolone antibiotics, which are used to treat a variety of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The World Health Organization ranks these antibiotics as the most important.

The research seeks E. coli Resistance to ciprofloxacin transported in the intestines of 600 healthy dogs. The research team asked dog owners to complete a survey providing detailed information about their dog, its diet, the environment in which it walked and whether the dog had been treated with antibiotics.

The microbial data were statistically analyzed along with the survey data and the results showed Feeding raw meat to dogs was the only significant risk factor associated with the shedding of these drug-resistant bacteria in dog feces..This work supports other published studies demonstrating a link between dogs fed raw meat and their feces E. coli Resistant.

Reduced use of ciprofloxacin by GPs leads to decline in ciprofloxacin resistance in UK E. coli Infected by humans. The UK has also almost entirely stopped using fluoroquinolones to treat farm animals.But, that Fluoroquinolone use and resistance remain at very high levels globally.

Jordan SeeleyThe associate researcher at the School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM) who conducted the study commented that his goal was “not to focus on raw dog food, but to focus on raw dog food.” Researching what can make dogs poop easier E. coli Drug resistance in feces. Our research found a strong correlation between excreta. E. coli Resistant to ciprofloxacin and feeding the dog a raw diet.

Matthew Iveson“Raw meat, whether cooked for human consumption or sold as raw dog food, may be subject to E. coli Resistant to antibiotics. “Cooking kills bacteria, and good hand hygiene reduces the direct risk of these bacteria being swallowed and entering the human gut.”

“Choosing to feed raw meat to a dog means that a person will almost certainly be dealing with raw meat, and Our research clearly shows that feeding raw food also means pet owners may interact with pets that have waste E. coli Resistant“.

“Personal measures to reduce your dog’s risk of spreading drug-resistant bacteria include switching to a non-raw diet or obtaining high-quality raw meat that can and will be cooked. Most raw foods sold for dogs cannot be cooked and may cause serious harm to your dog’s health if cooked.

Seeley added.

“Choosing to feed dogs meat from animals raised on farms in the UK or other countries where very few vital antibiotics are used may also reduce the risk of them picking up drug-resistant bacteria in their dinner.”

As part of a response to the emerging antibiotic resistance crisis, they advocate for more incentives for companies joining the raw dog food industry, sourcing meat from farms with appropriate antibiotic use policies, and analyzing meat to look for drug-resistant bacteria. “There should be stricter limits on the number of bacteria allowed in meat eaten raw, rather than the number of bacteria allowed in meat cooked before consumption,” Ivison concluded.

E. coli It is commonly found in the intestines of humans and animals and can be spread between humans and animals, often through poor household hygiene, such as after using the bathroom or handling food contaminated with feces, including raw meat. When dogs excrete drug-resistant bacteria into the environment and homes, these bacteria have the potential to be spread to their owners and others..

Once a person ingests a little E. coli

These bacteria They can remain in your intestines for years before causing infection.Hundreds of thousands of urinary tract infections are caused by E. coli Thousands of blood infections occur every year in the UK, often leading to life-threatening sepsis.when E. coli Due to resistance to important antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, infections are more difficult to treat, meaning patients are more likely to be hospitalized and die.