Comprehensive search of anthropozoonotic bacteria isolated from oral cavities of therpy dogs and their owners

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K09243
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Medical and hospital managemen
• Research Institution: Rakuno Gakuen University
• Principal Investigator: Muramatsu Yasukazu 酪農学園大学, 獣医学群, 教授 (50254701)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 獣医公衆衛生 / ヒューマン・アニマルボンド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We compared therapy dogs and their owners for oral microbiome as a model for bacterial transmission between therapy dogs and people who receive animal-assisted therapy by using the MALDI-TOF MS system and next generation sequencer.
Unweighted principal coordinate analysis of the abundance rate showed definite clustering among NC group, dog owners, and their dogs. Bacterial flora in oral cavities of dog owners showed diversity higher than those of NC group. Staphylococcus schleiferi was isolated from a pair of the dog owner and the owner’s dog. The sequencing analysis for the 16S rDNA of these Sta. schleiferi isolates showed the 100% similarlity. We detected B. zoohelcum in oral cavities of therapy dogs in close contact with older people residing in nursing homes. We have provided information on dog-assisted therapy to improve the relationship between humans and animals in aging societies, particularly for preventive healthcare of older people living in nursing care facilities.

Free Research Field

獣医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高齢化社会の進行に伴い需要が増加しているアニマルセラピーの中心的存在であり、人間社会で最も身近な伴侶動物である犬口腔内由来の感染症起因細菌を対象として、その分布状況とヒト口腔内細菌叢との関連性を明らかにした。口腔内細菌叢は人の健康と密接にかかわることから、高齢化社会におけるQuality of lifeの維持向上に果たす役割は大きい。本調査結果によって、一時的な接触にとどまるアニマルセラピー対象者の口腔内へセラピードッグから細菌伝播が起こるリスクは低いことが示された。一方、免疫力の低下したヒトが主たる対象者であることから、アニマルセラピーにおける十分な衛生指導を行う必要性がある。