Antimicrobial Resistance of Common Uropathogens From Cats With Urinary Tract Infections in a Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Taiwan

Abstract

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is frequently diagnosed in dogs and cats. To realize common regional uropathogens and their antimicrobial resistance plays an important role in both human and veterinary medicine. An empirical antibiotic was administrated while waiting for the results of bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Eighty-five bacterial isolates were obtained from 74 cats with clinical signs of UTI. Escherichia coli, Enterococcus species, Staphylococcus species and Klebsiella species were the most common bacterial isolates in our hospital. Compared to the previous researches, the susceptibilities of recommended empirical antibiotics exhibited higher resistant rate in our study. Lincomycin was the most resistant antibiotic within the test panel to that almost 98% uropathogens were resistant. The resistant rates of cephalexin, cephalothin, penicillin and amoxicillin were about 90%. Therefore, the selection of empirical antibiotics should be re-evaluated with time in Taiwan.

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

“…No antimicrobial tested achieved a >90% effectiveness designation for all bacteria isolated. This finding is similar to most studies of antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial urinary tract pathogens in cats 28,46‐48 . The percentage susceptibility of all bacterial isolates to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and enrofloxacin, 3 commonly prescribed antimicrobials, was similar to what was previously reported in cats from Norway, but differed from a study evaluating urinary isolates from cats in Taiwan where all isolates had significantly lower susceptibility to these same antimicrobials 28,49 .…”

“… 28 , 46 , 47 , 48 The percentage susceptibility of all bacterial isolates to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and enrofloxacin, 3 commonly prescribed antimicrobials, was similar to what was previously reported in cats from Norway, but differed from a study evaluating urinary isolates from cats in Taiwan where all isolates had significantly lower susceptibility to these same antimicrobials. 28 , 49 Geographical differences and different antimicrobial prescribing patterns are likely reasons for the variation in results. Our findings support the ISCAID guidelines regarding empirical use of amoxicillin or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole pending urine culture results, if clinically indicated, because >60% of the bacteria were susceptible to these antimicrobials, yet highlights the need for culture and susceptibility testing.…”

“…Escherichia coli had the lowest susceptibility to ampicillin (66%), cefazolin (73%), and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (77%), but E. coli rarely was documented to have MDR (8%). Escherichia coli isolates in our study had higher overall susceptibility to the antimicrobials tested compared to other studies, 25 , 28 , 47 , 49 particularly when comparing ampicillin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid. However, other studies reported slightly higher susceptibility to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid.…”

“…This resistance appears to be a worldwide issue with an increase in resistance to all antimicrobials from bacterial urine isolates noted between 2000‐2009 and 2009‐2014 in Germany 23,27 . However, only E. coli had high rates of antimicrobial resistance to amoxicillin and β lactams from urine isolates from cats in Taiwan 28 . Our objectives were to (a) identify the bacterial species isolated from urine specimens of cats with bacterial cystitis and SBU, (b) evaluate the prevalence of individual bacterial species during the time period, and (c) determine risk factors for antimicrobial resistance in cats with UTI.…”