Humans, pets may pass MRSA to each other
An elephant calf was put to sleep last year at the San Diego Zoo after it was reportedly infected with MRSA by one of its keepers.
At first, handlers couldn't figure out why the young animal was having so much trouble. When MRSA was diagnosed, the zoo staff was tested and several were found to be carrying the dangerous bacteria.
(Sun-TImes Media File)
New studies have found that humans can pass MRSA -- methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus -- along to animals, including their pets. And pets can pass it to humans. It can develop into a cycle where pets and their owners can actually pass the bacteria back and forth to each other.
"This has been reported," said Dr. Jose Bolanos, Silver Cross infectious disease specialist. "It's not a very common problem. But when a person gets MRSA over and over again, we have to wonder if they are in contact with someone in their home who could be carrying it around and transmitting it back to the person. It could be a person or a pet."
Bolanos said he doesn't recommend routing testing for the bacteria, but if there is a problem with repeat infections, it is a good idea to test others in the home, including pets.
Its development is the reason physicians warn fellow doctors not to prescribe antibiotics to their patients unless absolutely necessary to resolve a bacterial infection.
And now MRSA has spread to the general population. For decades, the germ was found almost exclusively in humans, but in the past few years it has been found in cats, dogs, birds, horses, pigs, rabbits, and rodents, causing a growing problem for veterinarians.
MRSA got an early start in therapy dogs, which picked it up from health-care environments, or patients.
Doctors think, however, that most pets that test positive for it have picked it up from their human owners.
Veterinarian Stephen Carter at the Morris-Dwight-Pine Bluff Animal Hospitals said there are many microorganisms that can be transferred between humans and pets, and MRSA is one of them.
He has not seen any cases of MRSA in the pets he treats, but he said if there were signs, he would test for it and would maintain hygienic conditions to make sure it didn't spread from animal to animal, like he and his staff do with infections such as parvo.
Last summer, researchers swabbed household surfaces and found that half had MRSA. Interestingly, households with cats were eight times as likely to have the bacteria as homes without cats. Carter hypothesized that the incidence with cats could be due to the particular grooming habits of felines. Cleaning themselves by licking their fur might make those with MRSA disperse it around the house more.
A lot of cats are let outside, too, he said, possibly allowing them to be exposed to more germs to bring home.
"Cats are up on surfaces more than other pets are," he said.
It's not something to worry about right now, though, he said.
"It is rare when a person gets sick from their pets," he said. "I wouldn't worry about getting routine testing. Testing on pets can be done if a patient has MRSA, it goes way, then it keeps coming back."
Bolanos has recommendations on avoiding pet-borne illnesses. First, he said, after cleaning a litter box or handling waste, wash hands thoroughly. Wash the site immediately if you have been bitten or scratched by a pet. If it is a deep puncture wound, see a doctor right away.
And it won't do you or your pet any good to let him lick you in the face. No eating off the same utensil, either.
Good, routine household cleaning helps prevent disease from passing back and forth, too, he said, and remember not to demand an antibiotic if your doctor says it won't do any good for your particular illness.
That's the way MRSA got started in the first place.
