Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance?
The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem that requires a One Health approach. Despite several studies have reported the role of companion animals as reservoirs of AMR, limited information is available regarding the role of cats in the circulation of AMR. In this...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/11/631 |
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| author | Valeria Gargano Delia Gambino Tiziana Orefice Roberta Cirincione Germano Castelli Federica Bruno Paolo Interrante Mariangela Pizzo Eva Spada Daniela Proverbio Domenico Vicari Marília Salgado-Caxito Julio A. Benavides Giovanni Cassata |
| author_facet | Valeria Gargano Delia Gambino Tiziana Orefice Roberta Cirincione Germano Castelli Federica Bruno Paolo Interrante Mariangela Pizzo Eva Spada Daniela Proverbio Domenico Vicari Marília Salgado-Caxito Julio A. Benavides Giovanni Cassata |
| author_sort | Valeria Gargano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem that requires a One Health approach. Despite several studies have reported the role of companion animals as reservoirs of AMR, limited information is available regarding the role of cats in the circulation of AMR. In this study, we evaluated the phenotypic and genotypic profile of 75 <i>Escherichia coli</i> isolated from rectal swabs and fecal samples of 75 stray cats (living in solitary or in a colony) sampled in Palermo (Sicily, Italy), to determine whether these animals may participate in the spread of AMR. Susceptibility to 8 antibiotics was tested using Minimum Inhibitory Concentration assays, while the presence of the common antibiotic resistance genes <i>bla</i><sub>TEM</sub>, <i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M</sub>, <i>tet</i>(A), and <i>tet</i>(B) was investigated by PCR. From the 75 <i>E. coli</i> isolates analyzed, 43% were resistant to at least one of the eight antibiotics tested, with 31% of the isolates resistant to ampicillin, 23% to cefotaxime, 21% to tetracycline, 20% to cefazolin, and 17% to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Most isolates harbored the <i>bla</i><sub>TEM</sub> gene (29%), followed by <i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M</sub> (23%), <i>tet</i>(A) (21%), and <i>tet</i>(B) (20%). Our results confirm the fecal carriage of antibiotic-resistant <i>E. coli</i> and clinically relevant resistance genes in stray cats. This study highlights the potential role of stray cats in the spread of AMR in urban environments, emphasising the need to better understand their role in AMR circulation when planning strategies to combat it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:55:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-30396ae8143946d6acd1c75a68e3d0b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-7381 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:55:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Veterinary Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-30396ae8143946d6acd1c75a68e3d0b82023-11-24T10:17:42ZengMDPI AGVeterinary Sciences2306-73812022-11-0191163110.3390/vetsci9110631Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance?Valeria Gargano0Delia Gambino1Tiziana Orefice2Roberta Cirincione3Germano Castelli4Federica Bruno5Paolo Interrante6Mariangela Pizzo7Eva Spada8Daniela Proverbio9Domenico Vicari10Marília Salgado-Caxito11Julio A. Benavides12Giovanni Cassata13Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (DIVAS), University of Milan, 26900 Lodi, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences (DIVAS), University of Milan, 26900 Lodi, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyEscuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7500000, ChileCentro Para la Investigación de la Sustentabilidad y Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, República 440, Santiago 8320000, ChileIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia “A. Mirri”, 90129 Palermo, ItalyThe emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global problem that requires a One Health approach. Despite several studies have reported the role of companion animals as reservoirs of AMR, limited information is available regarding the role of cats in the circulation of AMR. In this study, we evaluated the phenotypic and genotypic profile of 75 <i>Escherichia coli</i> isolated from rectal swabs and fecal samples of 75 stray cats (living in solitary or in a colony) sampled in Palermo (Sicily, Italy), to determine whether these animals may participate in the spread of AMR. Susceptibility to 8 antibiotics was tested using Minimum Inhibitory Concentration assays, while the presence of the common antibiotic resistance genes <i>bla</i><sub>TEM</sub>, <i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M</sub>, <i>tet</i>(A), and <i>tet</i>(B) was investigated by PCR. From the 75 <i>E. coli</i> isolates analyzed, 43% were resistant to at least one of the eight antibiotics tested, with 31% of the isolates resistant to ampicillin, 23% to cefotaxime, 21% to tetracycline, 20% to cefazolin, and 17% to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. Most isolates harbored the <i>bla</i><sub>TEM</sub> gene (29%), followed by <i>bla</i><sub>CTX-M</sub> (23%), <i>tet</i>(A) (21%), and <i>tet</i>(B) (20%). Our results confirm the fecal carriage of antibiotic-resistant <i>E. coli</i> and clinically relevant resistance genes in stray cats. This study highlights the potential role of stray cats in the spread of AMR in urban environments, emphasising the need to better understand their role in AMR circulation when planning strategies to combat it.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/11/631domestic animalsresistance genes<i>E. coli</i>antibiotic resistanceOne HealthItaly |
| spellingShingle | Valeria Gargano Delia Gambino Tiziana Orefice Roberta Cirincione Germano Castelli Federica Bruno Paolo Interrante Mariangela Pizzo Eva Spada Daniela Proverbio Domenico Vicari Marília Salgado-Caxito Julio A. Benavides Giovanni Cassata Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance? Veterinary Sciences domestic animals resistance genes <i>E. coli</i> antibiotic resistance One Health Italy |
| title | Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance? |
| title_full | Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance? |
| title_fullStr | Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance? |
| title_short | Can Stray Cats Be Reservoirs of Antimicrobial Resistance? |
| title_sort | can stray cats be reservoirs of antimicrobial resistance |
| topic | domestic animals resistance genes <i>E. coli</i> antibiotic resistance One Health Italy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-7381/9/11/631 |
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