Probable secondary transmission of antimicrobial-resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> between people living with and without pets

Abstract

Companion animals are considered as one of the reservoirs of antimicrobial-resistant (AR) bacteria that can be cross-transmitted to humans. However, limited information is available on the possibility of AR bacteria originating from companion animals being transmitted secondarily from owners to non-owners sharing the same space. To address this issue, the present study investigated clonal relatedness among AR E. coli isolated from dog owners and non-owners in the same college classroom or household. Anal samples (n=48) were obtained from 14 owners and 34 non-owners; 31 E. coli isolates were collected (nine from owners and 22 from non-owners). Of 31 E. coli, 20 isolates (64.5%) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, and 16 isolates (51.6%) were determined as multi-drug resistant E. coli. Six isolates (19.4%) harbored integrase genes (five harbored class I integrase gene and one harbored class 2 integrase gene, respectively). Pulsed-field gel electrophoretic analysis identified three different E. coli clonal sets among isolates, indicating that cross-transmission of AR E. coli can easily occur between owners and non-owners. The findings emphasize a potential risk of spread of AR bacteria originating from pets within human communities, once they are transferred to humans. Further studies are needed to evaluate the exact risk and identify the risk factors of secondarily transmission by investigating larger numbers of isolates from pets, their owners and non-owners in a community.

Antimicrobial resistance patterns of commensal Escherichia coli isolated from feces of non-diarrheic dogs in Grenada, West Indies

“…Commensal E. coli in the intestines of animals, including dogs, can develop antibiotic resistance on exposure to antimicrobial agents. Considering the close contact that humans have with dogs, the high levels of antibiotic-resistant E. coli in canine feces may be a potential source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria or resistance determinants [31,32]. In the present study, the most prevalent resistance rate observed was for Te (23.4%) followed by CF (13.2%).…”

Identification of faecal Escherichia coli isolates with similar patterns of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes in dogs and their owners

“…Furthermore, there were other comparable studies on the prevalence of streptomycin and tetracycline resistance genes in E. coli isolates from human and companion animals (Chung et al, 2017;Poudel et al, 2019;Skurnik et al, 2016;Toombs-Ruane et al, 2020;Yasugi et al, 2021).…”

Comparative occurrence and antibiogram of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli among post-weaned calves and lactating cows from smallholder dairy farms in a parallel animal husbandry area

“…AML=Amoxicillin, AMC=Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, EFT=Ceftiofur, CL=Cephalexin, KF=Cephalothin, OB=Cloxacillin, C=Chloramphenicol, ENR=Enrofloxacin, CN=Gentamicin, S=Streptomycin, OT=Oxytetracycline, IPM=Imipenem, SXT=Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, ESBL=Extended-spectrum β-lactamase E. coli isolates were identified by not only biochemical tests but also polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Based on the approaches described in Materials and Methods, the molecular characterization of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli isolated from domestic and food-producing animals was widely tested for the presence of 16S rRNA gene using PCR methods [26,27].…”