A Retrospective Study of Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria Associated with Feline and Canine Urinary Tract Infection in Hong Kong SAR, China—A Case Study on Implication of First-Line Antibiotics Use

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common clinical diagnosis for which empirical antibiotics are used in veterinary medicine. For veterinarians, the description of canine and feline antibiograms can help with making prudent use decisions and guideline formulation. For public health officers and epidemiologists, a urinary antibiogram overview helps track and trend antimicrobial resistance (AMR). There is currently a knowledge gap in AMR prevalence associated with urinary tract infection in feline and canine patients and the resistance percentage of these microbes against some of the over-the-counter antibiotics available to local pet owners. This study has two aims. First, it aims to investigate the frequency of the bacteria and bacterial-resistance pattern in urine samples obtained from feline and canine patients. Second, it aims to determine the resistance of <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>), the most frequently isolated bacteria, to first-line antibiotics. Results: We identified the five most-frequently isolated bacterial species and determined these isolates’ antibiotic sensitivity and resistance. The most-frequently isolated bacteria in feline and canine patients was <i>Escherichia coli</i> (<i>E. coli</i>). <i>E. coli</i> was identified, on average, in 37.2% of canine and 46.5% of feline urine samples. Among feline urinary samples, <i>Enterococcus</i> (14.7%) and <i>Staphylococcus</i> (14.5%) spp. were isolated more frequently, followed by <i>Pseudomonas</i> (4.8%) and <i>Klebsiella</i> (5.2%) spp. (). In canine samples, <i>Proteus</i> (17.9%) and <i>Staphylococcus</i> (13.2%) spp. were isolated more frequently, followed by <i>Enterococcus</i> (10.0%) and <i>Klebsiella</i> (8.59%) spp. Among these isolates, 40 to 70% of <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp. bacterial isolates from feline and canine patients were resistant to amoxicillin and ampicillin. During the three-year study period, among canine patients, 10 to 20% of <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp. bacterial isolates were resistance to fluoroquinolones, other quinolones, and third-generation cephalosporins. Among feline patients, 10% of <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp., 15 to 20% of <i>E. coli</i>, 50 to 60% of <i>Klebsiella</i> spp., and 90% of <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. were resistant to cefovecin, a commonly used antibiotic.