Data from two case series involving infections in animals and humans  suggest that multidrug-resistant bacteria can spread from pets to people.

Two separate investigations were initially undertaken. The first involved a cluster of carbaPENemase-producing E. coli, or CPE, infections in dogs and cats at a veterinary teaching hospital. The second analyzed several human infections from the same county months later.

When data from both investigations were entered into a national database, scientists noted the bacteria were highly related. What’s more, the people with CPE infections had pets that were treated at the veterinary hospital months earlier.

CPE are multidrug-resistant bacteria that primarily cause very serious infections in hospitalized patients. Sharing veterinary and human data might help slow their spread.