Contaminated eye drops traced back to a factory in India with dirty equipment and poor hygiene practices.
The bacteria strain is highly genetically related to one responsible for an outbreak last year that led to four deaths and left 14 people blind.
Two dogs in New Jersey tested positive for carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
In a concerning development, a deadly superbug that was previously linked to contaminated eye drops has now been found infecting dogs in the United States. Two dogs in New Jersey were reported to have tested positive for carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacteria strain that is highly genetically related to the one responsible for an outbreak last year which led to four deaths and left 14 people blind. The contaminated eye drops were traced back to a factory in India where dirty equipment and poor hygiene practices were found. This incident highlights the importance of proper sanitation and hygiene practices in preventing the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, not just among humans but also among pets. It is crucial for pet owners to take precautions when handling sick pets and to maintain a clean environment to prevent the spread of such dangerous bacteria.
Two dogs in New Jersey have tested positive for a drug-resistant strain of bacteria called carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
This bacteria is highly genetically related to the germs linked to illnesses of 81 people last year in 18 states, resulting in 14 vision losses and four deaths.
The resistance genes of this bacteria could spread to other pathogens as it can break down carbapenem antibiotics, which are usually reserved for infections resistant to other treatments.
Three humans have died and 81 have been sickened in an outbreak of carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa linked to recalled eye drops.
Two dogs in New Jersey tested positive for the same strain of bacteria, which is highly related to the human outbreak strain.
The bacteria was found in swabs taken from a dog with a chronic cough and another with a stubborn ear infection.
Millions of bottles of over-the-counter eye drops were recalled and banned from import due to contamination issues found at factories in India.
Staff at the veterinary hospital where one of the dogs was treated had limited options for hand sanitization and lacked consistent use of personal protective equipment. Equipment was shared between staff and supposedly clean supplies were stored within the splash zone of sinks, potentially allowing bacteria to spread.
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The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when the CDC investigator Emma Price states that 'So now that this bacteria has been introduced into the U.S. from the artificial tears, this resistance could spread.' This statement implies that because the CDC says it could spread, it is a fact. However, it is still a possibility and not a certainty.
So now that this bacteria has been introduced into the U.S. from the artificial tears, this resistance could spread.
New study shows sick pets can pass on antibiotic-resistant bacteria to their owners.
Over half of the pets tested and over a third of the owners harbored highly antibiotic resistant bacteria.
One dog had particularly large levels of multi-drug resistant E.coli.
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The article contains a few informal fallacies and an appeal to authority. It uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing antibiotic-resistant bacteria as 'potentially harmful', 'multi-drug resistant', and 'antibiotic resistant superbugs'. This is fearmongering rather than providing factual information. The author also appeals to authority by quoting Juliana Menezes, the lead researcher on the project, without providing context or critically analyzing her statements. Additionally, there's a dichotomous depiction of pet owners as either responsible and cautious or at risk from their pets.
The U.S. is a country of animal lovers...
...our pets could be harboring potentially harmful, multi-drug resistant bacteria.
...the transmission of antimicrobial resistance bacteria between humans and animals, including pets, is crucial in maintaining resistance levels.
Over half of the pets tested and over a third of the owners harbored highly antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Two dogs in the United States have been treated for carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection.
The bacteria was discovered in the lungs and ears of the affected dogs.
At least two cases of this bacterial strain were reported in New Jersey over the past year.
The same bacteria that caused an outbreak associated with 27 different eye drop brands led to four fatalities and left 14 people blind.
CDC conducted genetic testing on the bacterial strain from the pets and confirmed it was ‘highly genetically related’ to the outbreak strain.
The bacteria can break down carbapenem antibiotics, making many treatable illnesses more challenging to combat if it spreads.
The root cause of the eye drop outbreak was linked back to a factory in India where FDA inspectors discovered dirty equipment and noted that workers were taking shortcuts with regards to hygiene processes designed to keep products sterile.
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The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy when it states 'Price reported that one dog was swabbed at an animal hospital while being checked for a persistent cough, and another was repeatedly seen by vets trying to diagnose a severe, recurrent ear infection. Both dogs’ samples were analysed by an academic veterinary lab in Pennsylvania.' The article is implying that because the lab analyzed the samples and found the bacteria, it must be true that the bacteria came from the eye drops. However, there could be other sources of contamination for these dogs that were not mentioned in the article. Additionally, there are some instances of inflammatory rhetoric used to describe the consequences of this bacterial outbreak, such as 'severe consequences', 'distressing case', and 'alarming about'. These phrases do not add any new information or evidence to the article and are intended to elicit an emotional response from the reader.
]The findings there were so concerning that the lab alerted the CDC, prompting state health officials to initiate an investigation into the matter.[
Price reported that one dog was swabbed at an animal hospital while being checked for a persistent cough, and another was repeatedly seen by vets trying to diagnose a severe, recurrent ear infection. Both dogs’ samples were analysed by an academic veterinary lab in Pennsylvania.
