A new study reveals pets can pass a superbug onto their loving owners

A study has suggested that cats and dogs harbour potentially deadly superbugs that are antibiotic-resistant and can be passed to their owners.

The bacteria spreads between pets and humans through petting, touching or kissing, and handling faeces.

Researchers advised owners to wash their hands after touching pets or clearing their waste and isolate sick animals in a single room.

Skin swabs and faecal and urine samples were taken from cats, dogs and their owners in the UK and Portugal.

Many were found to be infected with matching bacterial strains, raising concerns that pets act as ‘reservoirs of resistance’.

Drug-resistant infections kill more than 1.2 million people a year, and the World Health Organisation classes antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest public health threats.

Lead researcher Juliana Menezes, from the University of Lisbon, said: ‘Understanding the transmission of bacteria is essential for combating antimicrobial resistance in human and animal populations.’