Abstract
Background: Most drug-resistant Escherichia coli isolates in dogs come from diseased dogs. Prior to this study, the prevalence and risk factors of fecal carriage drug-resistant E. coli and epidemic clone sequence type (ST) 131 (including subtypes) isolates in dogs were unknown. Methods: Rectal swabs were used for E. coli isolation from 299 non-infectious dogs in a veterinary teaching hospital in Taiwan. Antibiotic resistance and multiplex PCR analyses of E. coli for major STs were performed. Result: There were 43.1% cefazolin-resistant, 22.1% fluoroquinolone-resistant, and 9.4% extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing E. coli in our cohort. In the phylogenetic study, B2 was the predominant group (30.1%). The cefazolin-resistant group and ciprofloxacin-resistant group had greater antibiotic exposure in the last 14 days (p < 0.05). The age, sex, and dietary habits of the antibiotic-resistant and -susceptible groups were similar. In the seven isolates of ST131 in fecal colonization, the most predominant subtypes were FimH41 and FimH22. Conclusion: Recent antibiotic exposure was related to the fecal carriage of antibiotic-resistant E. coli isolates. Three major subtypes (FimH41, H22, and H30) of ST131 can thus be found in fecal carriage in dogs in Taiwan.
Highlights
The close bond between humans and their dogs provides opportunities for the exchange of multidrug-resistant organisms
We investigate the prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant and beta-lactam-resistant E. coli in healthy dogs in Taiwan and determine if any risk factors, such as feeding habits or prior antibiotic use, are related to antibiotic-resistant E. coli
We found that recent antibiotic exposure was associated with cefazolin-resistant, fluoroquinolone-resistant, and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli
Summary
The close bond between humans and their dogs provides opportunities for the exchange of multidrug-resistant organisms. The clinical infection of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in companion animals has been reported [1,2]. ESBL-producing E. coli have been reported since the late 1990s in companion animals in south-European countries and have become widespread, with many nosocomial outbreaks in dogs in recent years [1,3]. The prevalence of ESBL-producing E. coli was shown to be about 3% in clinical samples from companion animals in the US [8,9]. In some laboratories (e.g., UK and China), there is an increasing percentage of extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant E. coli found in clinical isolates from companion animals [12,13]. The prevalence and risk factors of fecal carriage drug-resistant E. coli and epidemic clone sequence type (ST) 131 (including subtypes) isolates in dogs were unknown. Three major subtypes (FimH41, H22, and H30) of ST131 can be found in fecal carriage in dogs in Taiwan
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