Antimicrobial Resistance in Escherichia coli Isolated from Healthy Dogs and Cats in South Korea, 2020–2022

Abstract

The occurrence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in companion animals poses public health hazards globally. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance profiles and patterns of commensal E. coli strains obtained from fecal samples of healthy dogs and cats in South Korea between 2020 and 2022. In total, 843 E. coli isolates (dogs, n = 637, and cats, n = 206) were assessed for susceptibility to 20 antimicrobials. The resistance rates of the most tested antimicrobials were significantly higher in dog than in cat isolates. Cefalexin (68.9%) demonstrated the highest resistance rates, followed by ampicillin (38.3%), tetracycline (23.1%), and cefazolin (18.7%). However, no or very low resistance (0–0.6%) to amikacin, imipenem, piperacillin, and colistin was found in both dog and cat isolates. Overall, 42.3% of the isolates exhibited multidrug resistance (MDR). MDR in isolates from dogs (34.9%) was significantly higher than in those from cats (20.9%). The main components of the resistance patterns were cefalexin and ampicillin in both dog and cat isolates. Additionally, MDR patterns in isolates from dogs (29.2%) and cats (16%) were shown to encompass five or more antimicrobials. Multidrug-resistant commensal E. coli could potentially be spread to humans or other animals through clonal or zoonotic transmission. Therefore, the incidence of antimicrobial resistance in companion animals highlights the urgent need to restrict antimicrobial resistance and ensure the prudent use of antimicrobials in Korea.

The Effect of Metronidazole versus a Synbiotic on Clinical Course and Core Intestinal Microbiota in Dogs with Acute Diarrhea

“…The median CADS index on day 0 was 6.5 (range [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. No statistically significant difference in the CADS index was observed between the METg and the SYNg on any of the days except day 3 (p = 0.02; Figure 1).…”

“…In this context, Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are frequently mentioned as potential enteropathogens. However, bacterial infections are generally rare in dogs and previous studies have shown that C. perfringens and E. coli can also be detected in healthy dogs [11,12]. Nevertheless, the identification of these bacteria in fecal samples of dogs with AD is often used as an indication for antibiotic treatment [10], which is initiated in 49 to 71% of dogs presenting with AD [13][14][15].…”