Veterinary Alert - Antimicrobial Resistance in Companion Animals

Minnesota Board of Animal Health sent this bulletin at 03/28/2022 04:14 PM CDT
board of animal health

Veterinary Alert

Antimicrobial Resistance (Super Bugs) in Companion Animals

On March 9, 2022, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) informed the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) that a New Delhi metallo-beta lactamase (NDM)-producing carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli was confirmed in a dog from a rescue facility in a neighboring state on February 6, 2022.

MDH epidemiologists conducted an investigation and determined the dog was rescued from Iran in 2021. Rectal swab samples were collected from 45 of about 120 additional dogs in the animal facility, and 18 dogs tested positive by PCR on the Carba-R screening test for this contagious, highly antibiotic-resistant organism. The MDH is working with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to address exposures to people working the in the facility.

This case serves as a reminder to all Minnesota veterinarians to be on alert for the threat that these antibiotic-resistant organisms pose to animal and human communities. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae are reportable in Minnesota. This includes E. coli, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and other bacteria in the Enterobacteriaceae family. On veterinary antibiotic sensitivity panels, carbapenem resistance will be evident as resistance to the drug imipenem. More information can be found here: Reporting Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) (https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/cre/hcp/report.html).

Veterinarians can learn more about carbapenem-resistant bacteria on CDC’s webpage: Frequently Asked Questions about Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) for Veterinarians (https://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cre/FAQ-Vets.html).

  • Prevent Infections. Implement best practices for infection control. Educate your clients on how to prevent disease.
  • Clean Your Hands & Equipment. Wash your hands and disinfect equipment regularly to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent spread of germs between animals and people.
  • Maintain Accurate Records of Treatment & Outcomes. Document and review diagnostic results and patient response to therapy. Re-evaluate as needed.
  • Select & Use Antibiotics Appropriately. Follow regulatory requirements. Use established guidelines and diagnostics to assess need, selection, dose, frequency, and duration.
  • Stay Current. Stay up-to-date on disease prevention; consensus and prescribing guidelines; local, state, and federal requirements; and professional standards for antibiotic use.
  • Prevent Environmental Contamination. Dispose of unused or expired antibiotics appropriately.
  • Commit to Antibiotic Stewardship. Use the AVMA judicious antibiotic use principles to build an antibiotic stewardship plan for your practice. Judicious therapeutic use of antimicrobials (https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/judicious-therapeutic-use-antimicrobials)

For more information on how you can commit to antibiotic stewardship, visit the University of Minnesota’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship Initiative (ARSI) website: https://arsi.umn.edu/gppps.

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