Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Vancomycin-resistant bacteria in dogs and cats at Brazilian vet
By Sfaciotte, Ricardo Antonio Pilegi et al.·Published in BMC veterinary research·2025·Centro de Diagnó, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) isolates from dogs and cats in veterinary hospitals in Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at a type of bacteria called vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) found in dogs and cats at veterinary hospitals in Brazil. Researchers discovered that a significant number of these animals, 46 in total, were carrying VRE, including 16 that were healthy and showed no signs of illness. The study found that the most common resistance gene was called vanA, and many of the bacteria were resistant to multiple antibiotics, which raises concerns about the potential for these bacteria to spread to humans. Overall, the presence of VRE in pets is a public health concern because it could lead to more resistant infections in both animals and people.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In veterinary medicine, particularly concerning dogs and cats, there is limited data regarding vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). However, multidrug-resistant Enterococcus is frequently identified, raising concerns about the potential for spreading these resistant microorganisms to humans due to their zoonotic nature. This study aimed to identify VRE colonizing animals admitted to a veterinary hospital and to determine the presence of the major resistance genes responsible for vancomycin resistance. RESULTS: Enterococcus was found to carry the vanA gene in 52.54% of cases, the vanB gene in 23.73%, the vanC gene in 20.34%, and the vanE gene in 3.39%. The antimicrobials with the lowest resistance were chloramphenicol (5.08%) and ampicillin (6.78%). In contrast, the highest resistance was observed with enrofloxacin (79.66%), rifampicin (67.80%), and ciprofloxacin (61.02%). Seven Enterococcus isolates showed resistance to vancomycin as well as high-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR). CONCLUSION: A total of 46 animals were found to be colonized by VRE, of which 16 were healthy. The vanA gene was the most commonly isolated (52.54%), followed by vanB (23.73%), vanC (20.34%), and vanE (3.39%). This represents the first report of the vanE gene being identified in a dog in Brazil. Among the 59 Enterococcus isolates, 84.75% (n = 50) were found to be multidrug resistant. The colonization of VRE and Enterococcus HLAR in dogs and cats poses a public health concern, as it increases the risk of environmental dissemination and has implications for One Health.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39994632/