Posted on June 24, 2009 by: WayCoolDogs

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Human MRSA has now been found not only in humans but also in family pets and domesticated animals,  according to the latest scientific studies. Recent clinical studies are showing through documentation that community-associated MRSA epidemics are spreading in the United States and moving into Canada.  The MRSA studies involve areas in high school sports, professional fields of sports, day cares, and fitness centers–as published in the July issue of the “Lancet Infectious Disease”.

What is interesting in the studies  is that the new documentation is showing MRSA colonization in domestic animals as passed through by their owners, according to Dr. Richard Oehler and colleagues, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida. Passing between people and their pets, antibiotic-resistant staph infections have been looked at in regard to infection risks from dog and cat bites. An important age group involved are  boys age five to nine considered the highest risk from both dog and cat bites. This age level and social group consists of about 1% of U.S. emergency room visits a year.

Previously, outbreaks of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Stapphylococcus aureus) were confined to the medical settings of hospitals. But with this new study showing that dogs, cats and horses are picking up MRSA from their human owners, humans are now being viewed as potential reservoirs and carrier for the disease:

“Pet owners are often unaware of the potential for transmission of life-threatening pathogens from their canine and feline companions,” the study’s authors concluded. “Health-care providers are at the forefront of protecting the vital relationships between people and their pets. Clinicians must continue to promote loving pet ownership, take an adequate pet history, and be aware that associated diseases are preventable via recognition, education, and simple precautions.” (CBCnews.ca)

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