A rare and resistant superbug, associated with a deadly outbreak caused by eye drops, was found in two dogs treated at a veterinary hospital in New Jersey, United States.
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The dogs were infected with a strain of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which also produces the enzyme carbapenemase, making it difficult to treat. This same type of bacteria was linked to an outbreak that affected 81 human patients in 18 U.S. states, resulting in 14 cases of blindness and four deaths.
The initial outbreak was attributed to contaminated eye drops produced in a factory in India, which were subsequently recalled. The ‘Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’, while investigating the source of the infection in the dogs, found lapses in infection prevention protocols at the veterinary hospital, such as lack of hand sanitizer and poor hygiene on equipment shared among staff. Additionally, one of the dogs lived with other animals, increasing the risk of superbug spread.
Although both dogs recovered, the findings raise concerns about how the bacteria could spread to other animals or even to their owners. The discovery also raised concerns in the veterinary industry, especially after the ‘Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’ issued warnings to veterinarians and pet owners about the risk of contamination from eye drops.
With these new findings, the CDC and health authorities are carefully examining the potential for transmission of the bacteria between animals and to humans, emphasizing the need for improved infection control practices in veterinary hospitals to prevent future outbreaks.
Source: CBS News
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