Project
Monitoring gezelschapsdieren op CPE
Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) contain resistance genes that confer resistance to carbapenem antibiotics. These antibiotics are of critical importance to public health. Continuous surveillance of CPE in farm animals is necessary to prevent CPE from spreading unnoticed in companion animals and subsequently becoming a source of infection for humans.
Over the past 10 years, several reports have been published on the occurrence of carbapenemases in farm animals and companion animals. In Germany these have been found in pigs and chickens and in companion animals. In the Netherlands, to date, no CPE has been found in farm animals, but occasionally in companion animals (dogs in 2017 and 2018).
Companion animals are considered as possible source of infection of CPE in humans because of the close contact between owner and animal. In order to monitor the occurrence of CPE in Dutch companion animals on a long-term basis, a selection of at least 100 faecal samples from dogs and cats is examined annually for the occurrence of CPE. We know from previous years that E. coli with OXA-48-like genes are incidental found in dogs. These results have no direct implications for humans or animals. However, these results do suggest that OXA-48-like carbapenemases occur on a limited scale in companion animals in the Netherlands. To estimate future risks, it is important to continue monitoring. With this surveillance, a possible increase in the number of positive samples can be signalled and, based on molecular analysis, it is determined which carbapenemase resistance genes are involved.