Abstract
Antimicrobial multidrug-resistant microorganisms (MDRO) can be transmitted between companion animals and their human owners. Aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) and Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in different companion animal species. Dogs (n = 192), cats (n = 74), and rabbits (n = 17), treated in a veterinary practice and hospital or living in an animal shelter and private households, were sampled. All facilities were located in a region characterized by a high density of pig production. Nasal, buccal and perianal swabs were enriched and cultured on solid chromogenic selective media. A subgroup of 20 animals (13 dogs, 3 cats, 4 rabbits) was analyzed for the presence of staphylococci other than S. aureus. Amongst all animals (n = 283), twenty dogs (10.4%) and six cats (8.1%) carried S. aureus. MRSA was found in five dogs (2.6%) and two cats (2.7%). Isolates were of spa types t011, t034, t108 (all mecA-positive, ST398), and t843 (mecC-positive, ST130), typical for livestock-associated (LA)-MRSA. Except for one dog, MRSA-positive animals did not have direct contact to husbandry. ESBL-Escherichia coli (blaCTX-M/blaTEM/blaSHV genes) were present in seven dogs (3.6%), one cat (1.4%) possessed a cefotaxime-resistant Citrobacter freundii isolate (blaTEM/blaCMY-2 genes). MDRO carriage was associated with animals from veterinary medical settings (p<0.05). One dog and one rabbit carried methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci. The exclusive occurrence of MRSA lineages typically described for livestock stresses the impact of MDRO strain dissemination across species barriers in regional settings. Presence of ESBL-E and LA-MRSA among pets and probable dissemination in clinical settings support the necessity of a “One Health” approach to address the potential threats due to MDRO-carrying companion animals.
Highlights
Today, companion animals such as cats and dogs are often considered family members and close proximity or direct animal contact are given on a daily basis in many households
When analyzing extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E)/cefotaxime-resistant Enterobacteriaceae and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) (i.e. MDRO) together and carriage among all tested animals, we found that animals sampled in practices and hospitals carried MDRO more frequently than animals sampled in shelters and households (17/181 vs. 0/ 85; p = 0.0023)
It provides insights into the occurrence of other staphylococcal species constituting potential reservoirs for methicillin resistance determinants. In this point-prevalence assessment, we found that the proportion of animals colonized with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-E. coli (2.5% of all animals or 3.6% of the dogs) was comparable to other studies investigating the perianal/rectal carriage of companion animals [30,31,32]
Summary
The aim of this study was to assess carriage and antimicrobial resistance of opportunistic animal and human pathogens in companion animals in North-West Germany by means of culture-based phenotypic and molecular methods
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