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An analysis of antimicrobial susceptibility data from a veterinary diagnostic lab in New York City identified carbapenem-resistant organisms (CROs) in 1.6% of gram-negative isolates dogs and cats, researchers reported today in Open Forum Infectious Diseases. For the study, researchers with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene retrospectively evaluated culture and antimicrobial susceptibility data on all bacterial isolates from dog and cat specimens submitted by New York City veterinary clinics, animal shelters, and veterinary referral hospitals to a single commercial diagnostic laboratory from 2019 through 2022. The study authors note that while CROs have been sporadically detected in dogs and cats, public health officials are rarely notified about such detections, and CRO prevalence in pet populations, whether its colonization or infection, is unclear. Strengthening CRO surveillance in animals, especially in collaboration with veterinary diagnostic laboratories, could improve understanding and enable public health action to help control the spread of companion animal CRO," they wrote."