Evaluation of canine raw food products for the presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase- and carbapenemase-producing bacteria of the order Enterobacterales

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To assess the potential contamination of commercial raw dog food products with bacteria of the Enterobacterales order that produce extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase enzymes, determine risk factors for contamination, and understand isolate genetic diversity. SAMPLES A total of 200 canine raw food products. METHODS Products were cultured on selective chromogenic agar following enrichment steps. Whole-genome sequencing was performed for isolates that were confirmed to produce an ESBL. Isolates were characterized by antimicrobial resistance genes, and multilocus sequences typing, and compared to other isolates in the NCBI database for clonality. Preservation method and protein sources were assessed as potential risk factors for contamination with ESBL and carbapenemase-producing bacteria of the Enterobacterales order. RESULTS No carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) were identified, but ESBL-producing Enterobacterales bacteria were isolated from 20/200 products (10.0%; 95% CI, 7.3 to 16.5%), all of which were frozen. Pork-derived protein source products were 8.1 times (P = .001; 95% CI, 2.53 to 26.2) more likely to carry ESBL-producing Enterobacterales bacteria than other protein sources. WGS analysis confirmed the presence of ESBL genes in a total of 25 distinct isolates (19 Escherichia coli, 5 Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 1 Citrobacter braakii). Genes encoding CTX-M type ESBL enzymes were the most common (24/25 isolates, 96.0%) with blaCTX-M-27 being the most common allele (8/25, 32.0%). CLINICAL RELEVANCE Frozen, raw food products may serve as a route of transmission of ESBL-producing Enterobacterales bacteria to companion animals. Veterinarians should advise owners about the risks of raw food diets, including potential exposure to antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotic ResistantEscherichia coliin Uncooked Meat Purchased from Large Chain Grocery Stores and in Raw Dog Food Purchased From Pet Stores in the Same City

“…RDF sold in the UK is mostly stored frozen prior to preparation for consumption, and most owners believe that the freezing process kills bacteria (Morgan et al 2022). However, as is clearly evident from this study and others (Morgan et al 2024, Cole et al 2022, Davies et al 2019) ABR E. coli are present in defrosted RDF, which likely explains epidemiological findings that feeding RDF is associated with an increased likelihood that dogs excrete ABR bacteria (Groat et al 2022, Runesvard et al 2020, Davies et al 2019, Lefebvre et al 2008, Sealey et al 2022, Sealey et al 2023).…”

“…For RDF, a study in the USA reported 10% of samples positive for ESBL-producing Enterobacterales, of which 76% were E. coli . Pork RDF had the highest sample-level positivity (38%) for ESBL-producers, followed by beef (10%), and chicken (7%) (Cole et al 2022). A recent survey in the UK on RDF report 14% of samples were positive for ESBL-producing E. coli , 47% of these positive samples were RDF stated as being made from offal/tripe, 33% from chicken, 17% beef, and 17% lamb, though it should be noted most samples were mixed protein sources with 67% of the offal based RDF contained chicken (Morgan et al 2024).…”

Biliary protozoa in a dog with acute cholangiohepatitis fed a raw food diet

“…Feeding of raw diets is a rapidly growing trend with substantial concern regarding both the development of food‐borne disease in pets and the risk to humans handling raw food products and in contact with animals fed such diets and their environment 12 . Several dangerous pathogens with zoonotic capacity have been identified in commercial raw food diets and raw meat, including extended‐spectrum β‐lactamase producing Enterobacterales , Salmonella species, Clostridium perfringens and several other bacterial and protozoal pathogens 12‐15 . Biliary H. heydorni in the dog described here may represent a novel unusual infectious disease related to feeding of raw meat, but both the source of infection and the pathogenicity of H. heydorni in our case cannot be definitively proven.…”

“…12 Several dangerous pathogens with zoonotic capacity have been identified in commercial raw food diets and raw meat, including extendedspectrum β-lactamase producing Enterobacterales, Salmonella species, Clostridium perfringens and several other bacterial and protozoal pathogens. [12][13][14][15] Biliary H. heydorni in the dog described here may represent a novel unusual infectious disease related to feeding of raw meat, but both the source of infection and the pathogenicity of H. heydorni in our case cannot be definitively proven.…”

Detection of antibiotic resistant Enterobacterales in commercial raw pet food: a preliminary study

“…Raw meat can become contaminated with pathogens during slaughter, processing and transportation and there is existing evidence of RMBD cross-contamination during manufacturing ( 1 , 6 , 10 ). Previous studies have detected DNA from undeclared protein sources in RMBDs and genetically-identical bacteria has been isolated from RMBDs with different protein sources that were produced by the same manufacturer ( 10 , 11 ). Salmonella species are often a prominent concern, as these bacteria cause 26,500 hospitalizations in the United States annually ( 12 ).…”