Antibiotic Resistance Genes Carried by Commensal Escherichia coli from Shelter Cats in Italy

Autor: Delia Gambino, Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo, Luca Cicero, Roberta Cirincione, Erika Mannino, Veronica Fiore, Daniela Proverbio, Eva Spada, Giovanni Cassata, Valeria Gargano
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Veterinary Sciences, Vol 10, Iss 12, p 680 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2306-7381
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10120680
Popis: Antimicrobial resistance is a widespread global health problem. The presence of resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes has been demonstrated not only in humans but also in animals, including pets. Stray cats share the urban environment with people and pets. This may facilitate transmission of resistant bacteria and resistance genes between stray animals, people and domestic animals. Several studies have investigated the role of stray cats as a fecal carrier of ESBL-producing bacteria. However, there are many genes and resistance mechanisms that can be detected in commensal E. coli, which, because of its genetic plasticity, is considered an indicator for monitoring antibiotic resistance. In this study, rectal swabs were collected from stray cats from colonies and shelters in the city of Monza (Monza Brianza, Italy) to isolate commensal E. coli. Phenotypic tests, such as the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the double disc test (DDST), and molecular analyses to detect antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) were used to study the resistance of these isolates. The results obtained confirm that stray cats can carry ESBL-producing E. coli (6.7%) and genes conferring resistance to other important antibiotic classes such as tetracyclines and sulfonamides.
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