Detection of multidrug resistance and extended-spectrum/plasmid-mediated AmpC beta-lactamase genes in Enterobacteriaceae isolates from diseased cats in Italy

Abstract

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility of Enterobacteriaceae isolated from cats affected by diseases commonly encountered in practice, and to characterise the third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistance molecular mechanisms involved. Methods Clinical samples (n = 100) included 58 rectal swabs from cats with diarrhoea, 31 nasal swabs from cats with clinical signs of upper respiratory tract disease, four ear swabs from cats with otitis, three conjunctival swabs from cats with conjunctivitis, two oral swabs from cats with stomatitis, one swab from a skin abscess and one urine sample from a cat with cystitis. A total of 125 Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from 90 cats. Escherichia coli was the most frequently isolated species (n = 65), followed by Enterobacter species (n = 20), Proteus species (n = 13), Citrobacter species (n = 12) and others (n = 15). Bacterial susceptibility testing was performed with respect to eight antimicrobial classes. Beta (β)-lactamase genes were identified by PCR and nucleotide sequencing. Results Overall, the higher frequency of resistance was to amoxicillin–clavulanate (61.3%), trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (33.6%) and cefotaxime (32.8%). Thirty-six percent of the isolates (n = 45) were resistant to 3GCs. Of these isolates, 34 were tested by PCR and nucleotide sequencing and 23 were confirmed as encoding β-lactamase genes. Fourteen 3GC-resistant isolates harboured extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) belonging to groups CTX-M-1 (n = 12, two of which were CTX-M-79), CTX-M-2 (n = 1) and CTX-M-9 (n = 1), as well as SHV-12 (n = 1) and TEM-92 (n = 1). Nine isolates had CMY-2 plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamases (pAmpC). Thirty-one percent (n = 39) of the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR) and were isolated from 34% (n = 31/90) of the cats. Conclusions and relevance A high frequency of MDR and ESBL/pAmpC β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae were detected among bacteria isolated from a feline population in southern Italy with a variety of common clinical conditions, which poses limitations on therapeutic options for companion animals. We describe the first detection of CTX-M-79 and TEM-92 ESBL genes in isolates from cats.

Antimicrobial Resistance Genes and Diversity of Clones among ESBL- and Acquired AmpC-Producing Escherichia coli Isolated from Fecal Samples of Healthy and Sick Cats in Portugal

“…Nevertheless, to our knowledge, this is the first report of the characterization of qAmpC-and ESBL-producing E. coli isolates from healthy and sick cats simultaneously in the same work and country. Moreover, our results about the MDR phenotype join information with other studies already performed in isolates of companion animals from different origins and countries [24,30,40].…”

“…The detection of CMY-2-producing E. coli isolates was previously reported in healthy and sick dogs in Italy [29,40], healthy dogs in Mexico [21] and sick dogs and cats in Portugal [6] and the United States [41] among others. Moreover, the CMY-2 enzyme was recently reported among healthy humans in Portugal (0.48%) [22] as well as in human clinical settings (1.04%) [6] with a similar prevalence as the one detected in our study (2.1%).…”

“…In the Netherlands, 25% of cats with diarrhea carried ESBL-producing isolates and none of the healthy cats' isolates (0%) was positive for ESBLs [43]. Furthermore, Piccolo et al [40] recently found 26.2% of ESBLproducing E. coli among diseased cats in Italy. Moreover, a high rate of ESBL-producing E. coli isolates was reported among clinical samples from pets in Singapore (40%) [31].…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Multidrug Resistance and Extended-Spectrum β-lactamase Producing E. coli Isolated from Healthy and Diseased Cats

“…In this study, E. coli was recovered from 28.2% and 55.5% of apparently healthy and diseased cats, respectively. A similar isolation rate (52%) was observed in diseased cats in Italy [26], whereas a higher isolate rate (45.6%) was found among apparently healthy cats in China [19].…”

Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Enterobacterales Shedding by Dogs and Cats Hospitalized in an Emergency and Critical Care Department of a Veterinary Teaching Hospital

“…In the recent years, several studies described ESBL-PE colonization and infection in dogs and cats [ 8 , 9 ]. Infections caused by ESBL-PE in dogs and cats include abscesses and wounds, otitis, upper respiratory tracts diseases, gastro-intestinal infections and cystitis [ 8 , 10 ]. Colonization was also described worldwide, with rates ranging from 6% to 24% in different geographical regions and different cohorts [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”