The study, published this week in JAMA Network Open, identified 168 patients who had XDR Campylobacter jejuni infections with epidemiologic or molecular links to pet store puppies from 2011 to 2020. Analysis of bacterial isolates from the patients found resistance to seven classes of antibiotics, including antibiotics that are recommended for treatment of Campylobacter infections.

The study summarizes a two-part investigation that the CDC began in 2017 following reports of a multistate outbreak of antibiotic-resistant Campylobacter infections that originally began in Florida. That investigation identified 118 cases in 18 states through February 2018, along with evidence indicating that puppies purchased from six national pet store chains were the source of the outbreak. Reports of ongoing cases led to a follow-up investigation in 2019.

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