Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns from urinary isolates obtained from cats (2013-2020)

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) in cats are increasingly linked to comorbidities and antimicrobial resistance.
• Understanding the specific bacterial culprits and their resistance patterns is crucial for effective treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify bacterial species causing UTIs in cats.
• To determine antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.
• To identify risk factors associated with antimicrobial resistance in feline UTIs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 363 positive urine cultures from 308 cats with bacterial growth (≥10^3 cfu/ml).
• Identification of bacterial species and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.
• Review of medical records to classify bacteriuria (sporadic, recurrent, subclinical bacteriuria [SBU]) and multivariable logistic regression for risk factor analysis.

Main Results:

• Escherichia coli (52%) was the most common pathogen, and SBU (59%) the most frequent classification.
• Enterococcus spp. were more prevalent in SBU, while E. coli dominated sporadic cystitis.
• Recurrent bacterial cystitis significantly increased resistance risk to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (OR 3.9).
• No single antimicrobial exceeded 90% susceptibility against all isolates; multidrug resistance was high in Enterococcus faecium (65%).

Conclusions:

• No antimicrobial demonstrated universal efficacy (>90% susceptibility) against all isolated bacteria.
• Urine culture and susceptibility testing are vital for managing feline UTIs, especially in cases of recurrent bacterial cystitis.
• Findings emphasize the growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance in feline urinary infections.