Humans and Pets May Carry Similar Strains of MRSA

Cats and dogs can get infected with MRSA bacteria — a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics — that is genetically similar to the type of MRSA that occurs in humans. In the study, the researchers compared MRSA samples found in pets with the ones found in people. "Our study demonstrates that humans and companion animals readily exchange and share MRSA bacteria from the same population," study author Mark Holmes, senior lecturer in preventive veterinary medicine at the University of Cambridge in England, said in a statement. The study also shows that the use of antibiotics in animals has an effect on MRSA strains, he said.