Antimicrobial resistance and prevalence of canine uropathogens at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 2002–2007
Between January 2002 and June 2007, uropathogens were isolated from 473 of 1557 canine urine samples submitted to Prairie Diagnostic Services from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Culture and susceptibility results were analyzed, retrospectively, to estimate the prevalence of common bacterial uropathogens in dogs with urinary tract infections and to identify changes in antimicrobial resistance. The most common pathogens identified were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus intermedius, Enterococcus spp., and Proteus spp. Antimicrobial resistance increased during the study period, particularly among recurrent E. coli isolates. Using the formula to help select rational antimicrobial therapy (FRAT), bacterial isolates were most likely to be susceptible to gentamicin, fluoroquinolones, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and groups 4 and 5 (third generation) cephalosporins.
Introduction
Bacterial urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most commonly diagnosed infectious diseases in canine practice and affects approximately 14% of dogs presented for veterinary care. Uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli are the most common cause of UTIs in both humans and dogs, and strains of this species are often abundant in the gastrointestinal tract at the time of infection. In contrast to most intestinal strains of E. coli, uropathogenic strains possess virulence factors which facilitate survival and persistence in the urinary tract. The risk of UTI recurrence is increased when highly pathogenic bacteria or underlying problems (such as, anatomic abnormalities, neoplasia, diabetes mellitus) are present. Microbiological culture and susceptibility testing is the cornerstone of UTI diagnosis and the results are used by veterinarians to select antimicrobial therapy. Susceptibility results from specific populations are used to select empirical therapy and to monitor trends in antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial resistance in uropathogens complicates therapy in dogs and is also a public health concern because these pathogens may be zoonotic.
The epidemiology of human uropathogens varies significantly by region and care setting. Given the many other similarities between human and canine UTIs, there is likely regional and population-specific variation in the epidemiology of canine uropathogens. The prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance in canine uropathogens is increasing in the United States, but only limited information is available about antimicrobial resistance trends in Canadian isolates.
Multi-drug resistance was observed in canine urinary isolates from an intensive care unit at the Ontario Veterinary College teaching hospital; however, the population of that study may not be representative of the general population of dogs in other areas, such as western Canada. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of uropathogens in dogs with urinary tract infections at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Teaching Hospital (WCVM-VTH), to apply the formula to help select rational antimicrobial therapy (FRAT) developed by Blondeau and Tillotson, and to identify changes in antimicrobial resistance among canine uro-pathogens over a 5-year period,
Authors: Katherine R Ball, Joseph E Rubin, M Chirino-Trejo, Patricia M Dowling
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Comments
Tag
Related Articles
Copyright © 2025 - All Rights Reserved
ISSN 2768-198X
List
Add
Please enter a comment