Linezolid- and Multidrug-Resistant Enterococci in Raw Commercial Dog Food, Europe, 2019-2020

Emerg Infect Dis. 2021 Aug;27(8):2221-2224. doi: 10.3201/eid2708.204933.

Abstract

We describe enterococci in raw-frozen dog food commercialized in Europe as a source of genes encoding resistance to the antibiotic drug linezolid and of strains and plasmids enriched in antibiotic-resistance and virulence genes in hospitalized patients. Whole-genome sequencing was fundamental to linking isolates from dog food to human cases across Europe.

Keywords: Europe; Portugal; Spain; ampicillin resistance; bacteria; cfrD; cgMLST; enterococci; linezolid resistance; multidrug resistance; optrA; poxtA; raw dog food.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed
  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Dogs
  • Drug Resistance, Bacterial
  • Enterococcus*
  • Europe
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections* / epidemiology
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections* / veterinary
  • Humans
  • Linezolid / pharmacology
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Linezolid