Microorganisms are increasingly developing the means to weaken or even to completely neutralize the effect of antibiotic substances. These mechanisms known as antibiotic resistance pose a serious threat to human health worldwide.

Antibiotic-resistant pathogens can also be transmitted between domestic pets (cats and dogs) and humans. The aim of the project is to examine the transmission paths of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes between pets and humans. During various bacterial infections, resistance-conferring elements such as plasmids may be exchanged and spread between bacterial pathogens in animals and humans. The genetic similarity of these plasmids will be used to analyse the spread and transfer of antibiotic resistance more closely. The results will lead to the development of measures through which the spread of antimicrobial resistance can be avoided or controlled.