Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia found in pets with chronic breathing
By Albini, S et al.·Published in Schweizer Archiv fur Tierheilkunde·2009·Institute of Veterinary Bacteriology·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolated from the airways of animals with chronic respiratory disease.
Plain-English summary
A dog with chronic breathing problems was found to have a strain of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a type of bacteria that is resistant to many common antibiotics. This bacteria is often seen in humans with similar respiratory issues, but in animals, it is usually thought to just be a harmless colonizer. In this case, the dog’s strain was resistant to a specific antibiotic, which raised concerns about treatment options. The findings suggest that this bacteria could be more serious than previously believed, especially in pets with ongoing respiratory diseases.
People also search for: dog chronic respiratory disease · Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in pets · antibiotic resistance in dogs
Abstract
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (S. maltophilia) is a nonfermentative bacterium, which is naturally resistant against a panel of commonly-used antibiotics. It is frequently isolated from humans with chronic respiratory disease, e.g. cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In veterinary medicine S. maltophilia is perceived to be a mere coloniser. We herewith report 7 strains of S. maltophilia isolated from animals, of which 5 strains were harvested from 3 horses, a dog and a cat with chronic respiratory disease. The dog isolate showed resistance to trimethoprim / sulphamethoxazole, which was confirmed by detection of the sul 1 gene. Analysis with pulsed field gel electrophoresis revealed that 2 horses, which were boarded in the same clinic but two years apart, harboured the same strain of S. maltophilia. This is indicative of a hospital acquired colonisation / infection, which contradicts involvement in the pre-existing chronic disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19565454/