Warning of ‘blinding’ dog infection that could spread to humans – as two New Jersey pets contract drug-resistant bug

Dog owners are being warned about a drug-resistant bacterial infection in pets that could spread to people and cause blindness.

Concerns have been fueled by reports of the insect being discovered in the lungs and ears of two dogs in New Jersey, who were taken to the vet with coughing and hearing problems.

But both were infected with the same antibiotic-resistant bacteria that infiltrated popular eye drops, killing four people and blinding 14 last year.

The bacteria is able to ‘melt’ the fibers of the outer eye, causing vision loss – and can also enter the bloodstream, where it can potentially cause the fatal condition sepsis.

As previous studies have shown that the infection can pass from humans to animals, experts say it is possible for the bug to transmit the other way around.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says 81 people in 18 states have been diagnosed with infections from the bacteria in EzriCare, causing four deaths and 14 people to lose their vision. Another four have had their eyeballs removed

“Fortunately, the owners were not immunocompromised, but we did alert them to the fact that there could be a possibility of transmission to them,” said Dr. Emma Price, a veterinarian with the CDC who led the report.

“And (we told them) that ideally they should keep the dogs away from other dogs in the future, which we understand is difficult to do.”

The eye drops that caused infections in 81 people were found to be contaminated with the bacterium P. aeruginosa, which can cause a serious infection.

Tests on the dogs showed they were also infected with P.aeruginosa, a strain that is ‘genetically very similar’ to that found in humans.

These germs are of particular concern to health experts because they are resistant to carbapenem antibiotics – a class of drugs used to treat a wide range of infections when other antibiotics fail.

This makes it extremely difficult to destroy the bacteria and risks spreading resistance genes to other pathogens.

Dr. Price said CBS News: ‘So now that this bacteria has been introduced into the US via artificial tears, this resistance could spread.’

It was not clear where the animals had picked up the disease. The owners said they had not used the infected eye drops or traveled internationally since before the outbreak.

Researchers presented data on the animal infections last week at an Epidemic Intelligence Service conference.

They suggested it was likely they contracted the infection through exposure to contaminated products or through improper sterilization of veterinary equipment.

Dogs sometimes spread bacterial infections to people, normally through licking open wounds or through contact with the feces or urine of infected animals.

Previous cases include 48-year-old Greg Manteufel of Wisconsin, who had his legs and hands amputated after his dog’s saliva led to a rare blood infection.

In another case reported in Australia, 53-year-old mother of two Tracy Ridout died a few weeks after contracting bacteria from a “playful bite” she received from a friend’s German shepherd.

In both cases, the patients suffered from an infection with capnocytophaga, a germ commonly found in the mouths of dogs.

Doctors say people with weakened immune systems, including those who have type 2 diabetes or are obese, are at greater risk of infection from their pets.

Doctors are constantly sounding the alarm about antibiotic resistance in bacteria, because this threatens to make currently treatable diseases dangerous again.

Bacteria that can resist antibiotics can survive the treatments and transfer the genes that confer resistance to other bacteria, exacerbating the problem.

More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. every year, a number that scientists fear will only continue to rise.

The deadly eye drop outbreak was linked to EzriCare and Delsam Pharma brands of drops manufactured in India.

At the factory, workers had failed to properly combat the infections – leading to the bacteria getting into the eye drops.

Tests showed unopened bottles were full of the bacteria, while research showed factories had dirty equipment and were not using sterilization gowns.

Among those infected in 18 states was firefighter Adam Di Sarro, who went blind in one eye due to the eye drops.

“(My infection) kept getting worse,” he said, “to the point where within a few hours I couldn’t even see.”

“(Losing one eye) was hard and still is hard because I’m still not working – for five months.”