Carbapenem-resistant Organisms in Companion Animals in New York City, 2019–2022

Carbapenem-resistant organisms (CRO) are a type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that threaten human health. CRO can infect or colonize dogs and cats, with potential for zoonotic transmission to humans, but CRO prevalence in pet populations is not well-described. To characterize CRO prevalence among gram-negative cultured isolates from New York City (NYC) dogs and cats, we analyzed antimicrobial susceptibility data from one commercial veterinary diagnostic laboratory serving NYC veterinarians during 2019–2022. Among 16,115 gram-negative isolates, 256 (1.6%) were CRO cultured from 241 dogs and cats. CRO detections and percent positivity fluctuated during 2019–2022 and were different across the city’s five boroughs. Data sharing between public health and veterinary diagnostic laboratories can identify CRO in pets and create opportunities to improve veterinary outreach and control of CRO in companion animals.