Antifungal use and resistance in pets to support better veterinary care
A Pilot Study of Veterinary Antifungal Use and Resistance in Support of Vet-LIRN's Antimicrobial Stewardship Efforts
This project collects veterinarians' experiences to learn how antifungal drugs are used and how resistance shows up in pets so vets can improve care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11159673 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will run an online survey of companion-animal veterinarians in both general practice and specialty/referral hospitals to gather real-world information. Questions focus on veterinarians' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about emerging antifungal resistance, risk factors for fungal infection and colonization, diagnostic approaches, and current antifungal susceptibility testing in veterinary medicine. The survey also asks about antifungal prescribing and stewardship practices in companion-animal care. Results will be used to inform veterinary antimicrobial stewardship efforts and identify gaps in practice and testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project surveys veterinarians rather than enrolling patients, but it is most relevant to owners of dogs or cats with suspected or confirmed fungal infections.
Not a fit: Owners of healthy pets with no history of fungal infection are unlikely to receive direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better antifungal prescribing in pets and fewer drug-resistant fungal infections, improving treatment outcomes for animals.
How similar studies have performed: While antimicrobial stewardship for bacterial infections has substantial prior work, antifungal use and resistance in companion animals is sparsely studied, so this effort is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cole, Stephen Douglas — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Cole, Stephen Douglas
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.