Dental plaque microbiota of pet owners and their dogs as a shared source and reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes.

OBJECTIVE: This investigation aimed to detect coincidences in the antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) profiles between members of a group living in a household and to compare them between other groups in order to establish if an exchange of ARG occurs and if dental plaque microbiota can be considered as a source and reservoir of ARG that can be shared between humans and pets. METHODS: One hundred sixty dental plaque samples were obtained from four groups. Shelter Dogs group (n = 20), Adult pet owners and Dogs group (AD group, n = 40), Adult pet owners, Children and Dogs group (ACD group, n = 60), and Adult non-pet owners and Children group (AC group, n = 40). DNA was obtained, and specific primers with polymerase chain reaction for ARG detection were used. RESULTS: The AD group exhibited the most coincidences in their ARG profiles, 14(70%) of the 20 profiles coincided in 100% followed by the ACD group with 9(45%) coincidences. While the AC group was the less coincident group, only 7(35%) of the 20 profiles coincided. tetM was the most prevalent with 53.1%, followed by tetQ with 52.5% and cfxA with 51.2%. While the less prevalent were tetW with 31.8%, blaTEM-1 with 27.5%, and ermC with 18.7%. CONCLUSION: Dental plaque microbiota can be considered as a source and reservoir of ARG that can be shared between humans and dogs living in a household. The dogs seems to play an important role in the transference of ARG, and the children appear to be the most affected by carrying the most significant number of ARG.