Abstract
Quantitative data on fecal shedding of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria are crucial to assess the risk of transmission from dogs to humans. Our first objective was to investigate the prevalence of quinolone/fluoroquinolone-resistant and beta-lactam-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in dogs in France and Spain. Due to the particular concern about possible transmission of extended-spectrum cephalosporin (ESC)-resistant isolates from dogs to their owners, we characterized the ESBL/pAmpC producers collected from dogs. Rectal swabs from 188 dogs, without signs of diarrhea and that had not received antimicrobials for 4 weeks before the study, were quantified for total and resistant Enterobacteriaceae on selective media alone or containing relevant antibiotic concentrations. Information that might explain antibiotic resistance was collected for each dog. Extended-spectrum cephalosporin-resistant isolates were subjected to bacterial species identification (API20E), genetic lineage characterization (MLST), ESBL/pAmpC genes identification (sequencing), and plasmid characterization (pMLST). Regarding beta-lactam resistance, amoxicillin- (AMX) and cefotaxime- (CTX) resistant Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 70 and 18% of the dogs, respectively, whereas for quinolone/fluoroquinolone-resistance, Nalidixic acid- (NAL) and ciprofloxacin- (CIP) resistant Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 36 and 18% of the dogs, respectively. Medical rather than preventive consultation was a risk marker for the presence of NAL and CIP resistance. CTX resistance was mainly due to a combination of specific ESBL/pAmpC genes and particular conjugative plasmids already identified in human patients: blaCTX−M−1/IncI1/ST3 (n = 4), blaCMY−2/IncI1/ST12 (n = 2), and blaCTX−M−15/IncI1/ST31 (n = 1). blaSHV−12 (n = 3) was detected in various plasmid lineages (InI1/ST3, IncI1/ST26, and IncFII). ESBL/pAmpC plasmids were located in different genetic lineages of E. coli, with the exception of two strains in France (ST6998) and two in Spain (ST602). Our study highlights dogs as a potential source of Q/FQ-resistant and ESBL/pAmpC-producing bacteria that might further disseminate to humans, and notably a serious risk of future acquisition of CTX-M-1 and CMY-2 plasmids by the owners of dogs.
Highlights
Extended-spectrum and plasmidic-AmpC betalactamases (ESBL/pAmpC), which cause resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs), are of considerable concern in veterinary and human medicine
A total of 188 dogs (90 from Toulouse and 98 from Madrid), with ages ranging from 4 months to 16 years, and feces containing at least 104 cfu/mL of total Enterobacteriaceae, were included in the study
Multivariate regression analysis revealed that dogs in Toulouse were more frequently colonized by AMX-R Enterobacteriaceae (78%) than those from Madrid (63%; p < 0.01)
Summary
Extended-spectrum and plasmidic-AmpC betalactamases (ESBL/pAmpC), which cause resistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins (ESCs), are of considerable concern in veterinary and human medicine. This is because resistance to ESCs and co-resistance to other antimicrobial families (e.g., fluoroquinolones) limits the treatment options for infections with ESBL/pAmpC-producing bacteria. The gastrointestinal tract of animals, including domestic pets, may serve as reservoirs of resistant bacteria that can cause opportunistic infections in vulnerable dogs and could be a source of contamination for humans. Dogs could possibly transmit ESC-resistant bacteria due to their close contacts with humans, the high consumption of betalactams in small animal veterinary practice [4], and the frequent occurrence of ESBL/pAmpC-producing Escherichia coli [5]. Human-related pathogenic strains have been identified in dogs [6], and the sharing of identical ESBL/pAmpC strains between humans and dogs from the same households has been demonstrated [7]
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