Antibiotic-resistant staph infections can be passed back and forth between people and their pets, doctors say.

In the July issue of the Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers reviewed evidence on the infection risks from dog and cat bites.

Outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA were previously confined to hospitals. But community-associated epidemics are occurring in the U.S. and are making inroads in Canada, including at professional and high school sports teams, daycares and fitness centres.

As community-acquired MRSA becomes more prevalent, a growing body of clinical evidence has documented MRSA colonization in domestic animals, Dr. Richard Oehler, of the University of South Florida College of Medicine in Tampa and his colleagues said in the study.

The observation suggests that dogs, cats and horses pick up the infection from their human owners, and should be viewed as potential reservoirs of infection.

"Pet owners are often unaware of the potential for transmission of life-threatening pathogens from their canine and feline companions," the study's authors concluded.

"Health-care providers are at the forefront of protecting the vital relationships between people and their pets. Clinicians must continue to promote loving pet ownership, take an adequate pet history, and be aware that associated diseases are preventable via recognition, education, and simple precautions."

In the U.S., dog and cat bites are the cause of about one per cent of emergency room visits annually, with similar numbers reported in Europe.

Boys aged five to nine are most at risk from dog bites, the researchers said.

Children, because of their small height, often receive bites on the face, neck or head. Adults are most often bitten on the hand, followed by face, scalp, neck, thigh or leg.

Severe infections occur in about 20 per cent of all cases of dog and cat bites, which should be washed with high-pressure saline and treated with antibiotics in selected cases, the team added.