One Health Approach for Reporting Veterinary Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales and Other Bacteria of Public Health Concern

A carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales outbreak at a veterinary teaching hospital in the United States increased urgency for improved communication among diagnostic laboratories, public health authorities, veterinarians, and pet owners. Kansas State University, University of Mis-souri, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Net-work created a surveillance, storage, and reporting pro-tocol for veterinary antimicrobial-resistant bacteria; deter-mined frequency of those bacteria in companion animals during 2018-2021; and created educational flyers for vet-erinarians and pet owners. We recommend a One Health strategy to create efficient surveillance programs to iden-tify and report antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and educate veterinarians and pet owners about transmission risks.

Automated summary

A carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales outbreak at a veterinary teaching hospital in the United States called for improved communication and collaboration among diagnostic laboratories, public health authorities, veterinarians, and pet owners. Multiple institutions collaborated to establish a surveillance system, determine the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in companion animals, and develop educational materials. The study recommends implementing a One Health strategy to enhance surveillance programs, identify and report antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, and educate veterinarians and pet owners about transmission risks.