Stray animals and antimicrobial resistance: A sentinel warning for one health preparedness

The recent study by Nocera et al. sheds light on the role of stray dogs and cats as potential reservoirs for multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria in urban environments, particularly focusing on Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus felis. This Letter critically appraises the methodological strengths and public health implications of their findings, while comparing them with existing literature. We highlight the significance of their resistance profiling approach, the emerging zoonotic potential of coagulase-negative staphylococci, and the environmental interface of stray animals with AMR dissemination. Furthermore, we propose integrative One Health strategies and future research directions that can leverage stray animals as environmental sentinels for early AMR detection. These perspectives underline the urgent need for expanding surveillance beyond clinical and companion animals into urban, free-roaming populations.