Tackling Antibiotic and Antifungal Resistance in Domestic Animals, Synanthropic Species, and Wildlife: A Global Health Imperative.

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) and antifungal resistance (AFR) arise when microorganisms evolve mechanisms to resist pharmacological treatments [...].

Analysis of phase III clinical trials in metastatic NSCLC to assess the correlation between QoL results and survival outcomes.

BACKGROUND: In addition to improving survival outcomes, new oncology treatments should lead to amelioration of patients' quality of life (QoL). Herein, we examined whether QoL results correlated with PFS and OS outcomes in phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating new systemic treatments in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The systematic search of PubMed was conducted in October 2022. We identified 81 RCTs testing novel drugs in metastatic NSCLC and published in the English language in a PubMed-indexed journal between 2012 and 2021. Only trials reporting QoL results and at least one survival outcome between OS and PFS were selected. For each RCT, we assessed whether global QoL was "superior," "inferior," or with "non-statistically significant difference" in the experimental arm compared to the control arm. RESULTS: Experimental treatments led to superior QoL in 30 (37.0%) RCTs and inferior QoL in 3 (3.7%) RCTs. In the remaining 48 (59.3%) RCTs, a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control arms was not found. Of note, we found a statistically significant association between QoL and PFS improvements (X2 = 3.93, p = 0.0473). In more detail, this association was not significant in trials testing immunotherapy or chemotherapy. On the contrary, in RCTs testing target therapies, QoL results positively correlated with PFS outcomes (p = 0.0196). This association was even stronger in the 32 trials testing EGFR or ALK inhibitors (p = 0.0077). On the other hand, QoL results did not positively correlate with OS outcomes (X2 = 0.81, p = 0.368). Furthermore, we found that experimental treatments led to superior QoL in 27/57 (47.4%) trials with positive results and in 3/24 (12.5%) RCTs with negative results (p = 0.0028). Finally, we analyzed how QoL data were described in publications of RCTs in which QoL outcomes were not improved (n = 51). We found that a favorable description of QoL results was associated with sponsorship by industries (p = 0.0232). CONCLUSIONS: Our study reveals a positive association of QoL results with PFS outcomes in RCTs testing novel treatments in metastatic NSCLC. This association is particularly evident for target therapies. These findings further emphasize the relevance of an accurate assessment of QoL in RCTs in NSCLC.

Consensus Statement on Animals' Relationship with Pediatric Oncohematological Patients, on Behalf of Infectious Diseases and Nurse Working Groups of the Italian Association of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology.

Contact with animals in pediatric oncohematologic patients is associated with many benefits, but the risk of contracting zoonoses, even if low, must be considered by clinicians. In order to assess the awareness about this topic, we surveyed the Italian pediatric oncohematology centers, which resulted in heterogeneous responses. The Infectious Diseases Working Group and the Nurse Working Group of the Italian Association of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, together with veterinarians from the National Federation of Italian Veterinarians, drew up a consensus document to unify the indications to be given to families with the aim of guaranteeing a safe interaction between patients and animals and improving the collaboration of clinicians with veterinarians and families.

Role of FGFR3 in bladder cancer: Treatment landscape and future challenges.

Bladder cancer is a heterogeneous malignancy and is responsible for approximately 3.2% of new diagnoses of cancer per year (Sung et al., 2021). Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptors (FGFRs) have recently emerged as a novel therapeutic target in cancer. In particular, FGFR3 genomic alterations are potent oncogenic drivers in bladder cancer and represent predictive biomarkers of response to FGFR inhibitors. Indeed, overall âˆ¼50% of bladder cancers have somatic mutations in the FGFR3 -coding sequence (Cappellen et al., 1999; Turner and Grose, 2010). FGFR3 gene rearrangements are typical alterations in bladder cancer (Nelson et al., 2016; Parker et al., 2014). In this review, we summarize the most relevant evidence on the role of FGFR3 and the state-of-art of anti-FGFR3 treatment in bladder cancer. Furthermore, we interrogated the AACR Project GENIE to investigate clinical and molecular features of FGFR3-altered bladder cancers. We found that FGFR3 rearrangements and missense mutations were associated with a lower fraction of mutated genome, compared to the FGFR3 wild-type tumors, as also observed in other oncogene-addicted cancers. Moreover, we observed that FGFR3 genomic alterations are mutually exclusive with other genomic aberrations of canonical bladder cancer oncogenes, such as TP53 and RB1. Finally, we provide an overview of the treatment landscape of FGFR3-altered bladder cancer, discussing future perspectives for the management of this disease.

SARS-CoV-2 Affects Both Humans and Animals: What Is the Potential Transmission Risk? A Literature Review.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization Department declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic, as a consequence of its rapid spread on all continents. The COVID-19 pandemic has been not only a health emergency but also a serious general problem as fear of contagion and severe restrictions put economic and social activity on hold in many countries. Considering the close link between human and animal health, COVID-19 might infect wild and companion animals, and spawn dangerous viral mutants that could jump back and pose an ulterior threat to us. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the pandemic, with a particular focus on the clinical manifestations in humans and animals, the different diagnosis methods, the potential transmission risks, and their potential direct impact on the human-animal relationship.

Research Note: Cecal microbiota harbored by free-range chickens may influence the reduction of Helicobacter pullorum relative abundance.

Helicobacter pullorum is recognized as an emerging food-borne pathogen that may colonize the intestinal tract and the liver of avian species and humans causing several gastrointestinal and liver diseases. However, not all strains are reported to be capable of causing clinical disease, thus making poultry as reservoir for the zoonotic transmission of the infection through carcass contamination of broilers at slaughter. In poultry, the prevalence of this bacterium could be underestimated and the available data mainly refer to conventional rearing systems, whereas free-range and organic breedings have been poorly investigated. Therefore, this study was aimed to characterize the caecal microbiota community of free-range grown chickens and determine the presence and the relative abundance of H. pullorum by using NGS-based 16S rDNA sequencing. A total of 18 chickens reared for 56 d on a semi-extensive management system were euthanized at two time points: 9 birds at 28 d of age (before have access to outdoor; I = Indoor) and other 9 birds at 56 d of age (before slaughter; O = Outdoor). Cecal contents were collected for microbiota analyses. H. pullorum was detected in the cecum of 16/18 samples and its proportion in indoor was significantly higher than outdoor chickens (2.46 and 0.52%, respectively; P < 0.05), showing 78.8% of decrease with the outdoor access of the chickens. Therefore, it may be assumed that the potential for zoonotic infection is less likely. Moreover, H. pullorum was negatively correlated with 17 bacterial species as significantly more abundant in Outdoor microbial caecal communities. Among these, we highlighted the presence of Mucispirillium schaedleri and Oscillospira, already previously associated with a healthy gut and thus representing promising gut bacterial markers for host health. Our findings suggest that alternative production systems with outdoor access, may play a crucial role in the establishment of a healthy gut microbiota, which in turn might prevent colonization of harmful bacteria such as Helicobacter pullorum.

Prevalence and Phenotypic Antimicrobial Resistance among ESKAPE Bacteria and Enterobacterales Strains in Wild Birds.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a current public health issue globally. To counter this phenomenon and prioritize AMR in the health sector, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a list of bacterial pathogens against which the development of new antimicrobial agents is urgently needed, designating the ESKAPE pathogens (i.e., Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) with a 'priority status'. Moreover, the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) states that human health is closely linked to animal and environmental health, thus promoting a holistic One Health approach in order to be prepared to address possible emerging health threats from the human-animal-environment interface. Wild birds may host and spread pathogens, integrating the epidemiology of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the role of wild birds as a source of ESKAPE bacteria and other antibiotic-resistant enterobacterales. A total of fifty strains within the ESKAPE group were detected in 40/163 cloacal samples of examined birds (24.5%). Additionally, different strains of enterobacterales were detected in 88/163 cloacal samples (53.9%). Isolated strains exhibited antimicrobial resistance, including towards critically important antibiotics (e.g., third, fourth, fifth generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones) for human medicine. Our results confirm that wild birds are potential reservoirs of several pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and that they could be involved in the dissemination of those bacteria across different environments, with resulting public health concerns.

RET rearrangements in non-small cell lung cancer: Evolving treatment landscape and future challenges.

The Rearranged during Transfection (RET) oncogene has been extensively investigated in solid malignancies, particularly thyroid cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and represents an attractive therapeutic target. RET rearrangements occur in 1-2% of lung adenocarcinomas, where they function as potent oncogenic drivers. Importantly, tumors harboring RET fusions are particularly sensitive to RET tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Results of the LIBRETTO-001 and ARROW clinical trials led to the approval of novel potent and selective RET inhibitors, selpercatinib and pralsetinib, able to overcome the limits of previously used multikinase inhibitors. Herein, we review the most relevant evidences about the role of RET signaling in NSCLC. In addition, we interrogated the Project GENIE database to investigate common clinical and molecular features of RET-fusion positive NSCLC. This analysis revealed that RET rearrangements occurred more frequently in younger and light smoker patients and were associated with a lower tumor mutational burden, compared to RET-fusion negative tumors. Moreover, we assessed and described the differences between RET genomic alterations in NSCLC and thyroid cancers. Finally, we summarized how the treatment landscape of RET-rearranged NSCLC has changed in the last few years, which are the available data about the recognized mechanisms of resistance to RET inhibitors and the challenges for future development of novel therapeutic strategies, aiming to improve management of patients with RET-fusion positive NSCLC.

Health-related quality of life is underestimated and underreported in phase III clinical trials in NSCLC.

Major associations of medical oncologists remark that novel anticancer treatments should guarantee improvement of survival outcomes as well as of patients' quality of life (QoL). Herein, we investigated QoL assessment and reporting in phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing new drugs in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), published between 2010 and 2021. We selected 172 RCTs for further analysis. Only 2/172 (1.2%) trial included QoL among primary study endpoints. Of note, 40/172 (23.3%) trials did not include QoL assessment among endpoints. The majority of RCTs (102/172, 59.3%) did not report QoL results in primary publications. Particularly, RCTs testing immunotherapy, target therapy and chemotherapy did not disclose QoL data in primary publications in 97.0%, 51.5% and 46.5% of cases, respectively. Next, we found that only 43/95 (45.3%) positive studies reported QoL results in primary articles. Of the 102 trials missing QoL data in primary manuscripts, only 21 (20.6%) disclosed QoL results in a secondary publication. Finally, we found a common fail in adherence to CONSORT-PROs items in publications reporting QoL results. In summary, our study reveals a relevant inadequate assessment and under-reporting of QoL in RCTs of novel systemic treatments for patients with metastatic NSCLC.

Evaluation of the Molecular Landscape in PD-L1 Positive Metastatic NSCLC: Data from Campania, Italy.

BACKGROUND: Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have increased and improved the treatment options for patients with non-oncogene-addicted advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the role of ICIs in oncogene-addicted advanced stage NSCLC patients is still debated. In this study, in an attempt to fill in the informational gap on the effect of ICIs on other driver mutations, we set out to provide a molecular landscape of clinically relevant oncogenic drivers in programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) positive NSCLC patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data on 167 advanced stage NSCLC PD-L1 positive patients (≥1%) who were referred to our clinic for molecular evaluation of five driver oncogenes, namely, EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, ALK and ROS1. RESULTS: Interestingly, n = 93 (55.7%) patients showed at least one genomic alteration within the tested genes. Furthermore, analyzing a subset of patients with PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥ 50% and concomitant gene alterations (n = 8), we found that n = 3 (37.5%) of these patients feature clinical benefit with ICIs administration, despite the presence of a concomitant KRAS gene alteration. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we provide a molecular landscape of clinically relevant biomarkers in NSCLC PD-L1 positive patients, along with data evidencing the clinical benefit of ICIs in patient NSCLC PD-L1 positive alterations.

FOLFIRINOX or nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine in metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: an observational study.

Aim: Comparison of first-line FOLFIRINOX (FFN) and nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (NabGem) in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Patients & methods: The authors analyzed data from 160 patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma receiving first-line FFN (n = 43) or NabGem (n = 117). Results: FFN and NabGem were similar in median progression-free survival (24.43 vs 26.28 weeks; hazard ratio [HR]: 0.88) and medial overall survival (47.43 vs 42.86 weeks; HR: 0.90). Of the 43 patients receiving FFN, 26 (60.4%) were treated with second-line NabGem; 14/117 (12.0%) patients receiving NabGem received second-line FFN (p < 0.0001). In the FFN → NabGem and NabGem → FFN groups, median overall survival was 51.2 and 71.6 weeks (HR: 0.69; p = 0.15). In patients receiving NabGem, second-line FFN, compared with FOLFOX/CAPOX or FOLFIRI, improved median progression-free survival 2 (25.6 vs 12.1 weeks; HR: 0.47; p = 0.0067) and median overall survival 2 (39.0 vs 19.14 weeks; HR: 0.49; p = 0.032). Conclusion: First-line FFN and NabGem promote similar clinical outcomes. Second-line FFN should be considered after NabGem.

Inadequate health-related quality of life assessment and reporting in phase III clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid cancers: A systematic review.

We systematically reviewed QoL assessment and reporting in RCTs of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in solid cancers published between 2013 and 2021. None of the 106 eligible trials included QoL among primary endpoints. QoL results were non-disclosed in 83/106 (78.3%) primary publications. QoL assessment was disclosed exclusively in study protocol and not in methods of the manuscript in 48.5% of publications. In 27.8% of articles, QoL assessment was disclosed in the methods but non-reported among the results. Only in 44.3% of trials missing QoL results in primary manuscripts, QoL data were reported in a secondary publication. A relevant delay occurred in secondary publications, with a median time to secondary articles with QoL results of 33.6 months. Our analysis revealed a significant underreporting of QoL in RCTs of ICIs in solid cancers. Altogether, absent or delayed disclosure of QoL results affect a complete evaluation of clinical benefit of new anticancer treatments.

Use of FOLFIRINOX or Nab-Paclitaxel Plus Gemcitabine for the Treatment of Locally Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: A Single Institution Observational Study.

Patients with locally advanced (LA) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) do not present distant metastases but are not eligible for surgery upfront. Chemotherapy regimens, such as FOLFIRINOX (FFN) or nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine (GemNab) in combination with loco-regional treatments are generally used in this setting. However, the best treatment choice is unknown. We retrospectively analyzed the information of 225 patients with stage II-III PDAC treated at our institution between October 2011 and December 2020. A total of 94 patients with LA PDAC who are non-eligible for surgery upfront received neoadjuvant FFN or GemNab. Of the 67 patients receiving FFN, 28 (41.8%) underwent surgery after neoadjuvant therapy. Of the 27 patients treated with GemNab, 6 (22.2%) became eligible for resection. The median overall survival (OS) was 85.1 weeks and 54.3 weeks in the FFN and GemNab groups, respectively (HR = 0.54, p = 0.0109). The median OS was 189.7 weeks and 76.4 weeks in the resected and unresected cohorts, respectively (HR = 0.25, p < 0.0001). Neutropenia (37.3%), anemia (6.0%), and diarrhea (6.0%) in the FFN group and neutropenia (22.2%) and thrombocytopenia (18.5%) in the GemNab groups were the most frequent grade 3-4 side effects. Higher rates of thrombocytosis (p < 0.0001) and peripheral edema (p < 0.0001) were observed in the GemNab group. Our results suggest that the use of FFN is associated with more favorable clinical outcomes than GemNab for patients with LA PDAC. Future randomized and controlled clinical trials are needed to further elucidate the role of these regimens and loco-regional treatments in this setting.

Zoonotic Risk of Encephalitozoon cuniculi in Animal-Assisted Interventions: Laboratory Strategies for the Diagnosis of Infections in Humans and Animals.

The involvement of animals for therapeutic purposes has very ancient roots. To date, it is clear that animal-assisted interventions (AAIs), in addition to ensuring the replacement of missing or deficient affects, improves psychophysiological parameters connected to human health. However, AAI could potentially present risks related to the transmission of infectious agents from animals to humans. Among these microorganisms, E. cuniculi is a microspore which induces pathological effects (fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, breathlessness, respiratory symptoms, and weakness) in both humans and animals. Consequently, an accurate and fast diagnosis of E. cuniculi infection, as well as the identification of new diagnostic approaches, is of fundamental importance. This literature review was carried out to provide an extensive and comprehensive analysis of the most recent diagnostic techniques to prevent and care for E. cuniculi-associated risks in the AAI field.

The Research of Standardized Protocols for Dog Involvement in Animal-Assisted Therapy: A Systematic Review.

Dogs are considered the most important species involved in animal-assisted therapy (AAT), and the scientific literature focuses on the benefits linked to the involvement of dogs in various therapeutic areas. In this study, we carried out a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, exploring the scientific literature from the last 5 years (2016-2021) on three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) to highlight the characteristics of the dogs involved in AATs. Based on the scientific literature relevant to such dogs, we considered different parameters (i.e., number, age, sex, breed, temperament, methods of choice and training, health status, research goals, and activities with dogs) to include studies in our paper. After screening 4331 papers identified on the searched databases, we selected 38 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of the included articles showed that the characteristics of the dogs were neglected. Our findings indicated a lack of information about the dogs, as well as the absence of standardized and univocal criteria for dog selection, training programs, and health protocols.

An Animal-Assisted Education Intervention with Dogs to Promote Emotion Comprehension in Primary School Children-The Federico II Model of Healthcare Zooanthropology.

Emotion comprehension (EC) is a crucial competence for children, as it determines the quality of peer interactions. This study assessed the efficacy of an animal-assisted education (AAE) intervention with dogs based on the Federico II Model of Healthcare Zooanthropology (FMHZ) to promote EC in a group of primary school children. One hundred and four children (48 females) aged 6-7 years took part in the study, of whom 63 participated in the AAE intervention (i.e., experimental group) and 41 did not (i.e., control group). The intervention was deployed in a school setting through a group format and consisted of five bimonthly sessions. EC was assessed pre- and post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up. Student's t-test and mixed-model ANOVA were performed to analyze the effect of the intervention on EC. EC significantly improved in children of the experimental group compared to the control group. Significant time effects from pre- to post-intervention, post-intervention to follow-up, and pre-intervention to follow-up assessment were found in the experimental group only. AAE based on FMHZ was effective in improving EC in children.

Presence of Campylobacterjejuni and C. coli in Dogs under Training for Animal-Assisted Therapies.

This study was conducted to evaluate the presence of Campylobacter (C.) jejuni and C. coli in dogs at five dog training centers in Southern Italy. A total of 550 animals were sampled by collecting rectal swabs. The samples were processed to detect thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. by culture and molecular methods. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 135/550 (24.5-95% confidence interval) dogs. A total of 84 C. jejuni (62.2%) and 51 C. coli (37.8%) isolates were identified using conventional PCR. The dog data (age, sex, breed, and eating habits) were examined by two statistical analyses using the C. jejuni and C. coli status (positive or negative) as dependent variables. Dogs fed home-cooked food showed a higher risk of being positive for C. jejuni than dogs fed dry or canned meat for dogs (50.0%; p < 0.01). Moreover, purebred dogs had a significantly higher risk than crossbred dogs for C. coli positivity (16.4%; p < 0.01). This is the first study on the prevalence of C. jejuni and C. coli in dogs frequenting dog training centers for animal-assisted therapies (AATs). Our findings emphasize the potential zoonotic risk for patients and users involved in AATs settings and highlight the need to carry out ad hoc health checks and to pay attention to the choice of the dog, as well as eating habits, in order to minimize the risk of infection.

Antimicrobial Resistance of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Companion Birds.

Antimicrobial resistance is a public health concern worldwide and it is largely attributed to the horizontal exchange of transferable genetic elements such as plasmids carrying integrons. Several studies have been conducted on livestock showing a correlation between the systemic use of antibiotics and the onset of resistant bacterial strains. In contrast, although companion birds are historically considered as an important reservoir for human health threats, little information on the antimicrobial resistance in these species is available in the literature. Therefore, this study was aimed at evaluating the antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonasaeruginosa isolated from 755 companion birds. Cloacal samples were processed for E. coli and P. aeruginosa isolation and then all isolates were submitted to antimicrobial susceptibility testing. P. aeruginosa was isolated in 59/755 (7.8%) samples, whereas E. coli was isolated in 231/755 (30.7%) samples. Most strains showed multidrug resistance. This study highlights that companion birds may act as substantial reservoirs carrying antimicrobial resistance genes which could transfer directly or indirectly to humans and animals, and from a One Health perspective this risk should not be underestimated.

FOLFIRINOX after first-line gemcitabine-based chemotherapy in advanced pancreatic cancer: a retrospective comparison with FOLFOX and FOLFIRI schedules.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. In cases with metastasis, the combination of 5-fluorouracil, irinotecan, and oxaliplatin (FOLFIRINOX) or gemcitabine-based chemotherapy regimens are considered the standard of care. However, the optimal sequence of these regimens is unclear. METHODS: This retrospective study initially evaluated 186 patients with locally advanced/metastatic pancreatic cancer at three Italian institutions between February 2013 and October 2019. All patients had progressed after receiving gemcitabine-based first-line chemotherapy and were subsequently offered second-line FOLFIRINOX, FOLFOX-6, or FOLFIRI treatment. This study evaluated progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival from the start of second-line treatment (OS2), overall survival from the start of first-line treatment (OS1), and safety outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 77 patients received ⩾4 cycles of second-line chemotherapy and were considered eligible: 15 patients received FOLFIRINOX, 32 patients received FOLFOX-6, and 30 patients received FOLFIRI. The FOLFIRINOX group had median PFS of 26.29 weeks and median OS2 of 47.86 weeks, while the FOLFIRI group had median PFS of 10.57 weeks and median OS2 of 25.00 weeks (p = 0.038). No significant differences were observed between the FOLFIRINOX and FOLFOX-6 groups in terms of PFS (26.29 weeks versus 23.07 weeks) or OS2 (47.86 weeks versus 42.00 weeks). The most common grade 3-4 toxicities were anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia, which occurred more frequently in the FOLFIRINOX and FOLFOX-6 groups. CONCLUSION: Relative to the FOLFIRI regimen, the FOLFIRINOX regimen had a favorable toxicity profile and better survival outcomes. No significant differences were observed relative to the FOLFOX-6 regimen.

Occurrence of Pasteurella multocida in Dogs Being Trained for Animal-Assisted Therapy.

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a non-pharmacological therapy aimed at people with physical and/or mental disabilities. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out interventions that guarantee its benefits for patients while also avoiding the risk of zoonoses due to contact with the animals or their mucous membranes. The present study aimed to detect the occurrence of Pasteurella multocida in the oral cavity of dogs attending a "dog educational centre" and training for AAT interventions. In addition, some of the potential predictable factors of infection (i.e., age, sex, breed, and living conditions) were analyzed. In total, 25/200 dogs examined (12.5%; 95% confidence interval = 8.4-18.1%) were positive for P. multocida, as confirmed by PCR. Sex, breed, and living conditions were risk factors associated with P. multocida as revealed by the logistic regression analysis. Specifically, cross-bred female dogs living prevalently outdoors were significantly associated with the presence of P. multocida (p < 0.05). This study represents the first epidemiological survey of the prevalence of P. multocida in the oral cavity of dogs involved subsequently in AAT interventions, highlighting the potential risk of P. multocida infection in patients, often belonging to risk categories (e.g., children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals). Therefore, healthcare guidelines could be suggested to integrate the current literature related to the health check of dogs involved in AAT. In this way, it could be ensured that, even with bodily contact during AAT, the risk of pathogen transmission by the co-therapist dog can be avoided.