Domestic Pets in the United Arab Emirates as Reservoirs for Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: A Comprehensive Analysis of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Producing Escherichia coli Prevalence and Risk Factors

Abstract

Extended-spectrum β-lactamases resistant (ESBL-R) Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been reported from healthy and sick pets. However, data from Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are minimal. This study provides the first evidence of ESBL-R E. coli carriage among pets in the UAE. A total of 148 rectal swabs were collected from domestic cats (n = 122) and dogs (n = 26) attending five animal clinics in the UAE. Samples were cultured directly onto selective agar, and suspected colonies were confirmed as ESBL-producing using phenotypic and molecular methods. Confirmed isolates were screened for their phenotypic resistance to twelve antimicrobial agents using the Kirby Bauer method. The owners of the pets completed a questionnaire at the time of sampling, and the data were used to identify risk factors. ESBL-R E. coli was detected in rectal swabs of 35 out of 148 animals (23.65%) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.06–31.32). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified cats and dogs with access to water in ditches and puddles as 3.71 (p-value = 0.020) times more likely to be positive to ESBL-R E. coli than those without access to open water sources. Ciprofloxacin resistance was evident in 57.14% (44/77) of the ESBL-R E. coli isolates. The percentage of resistance to azithromycin and cefepime was 12.99% (10/77) and 48.05% (37/77), respectively. The blaCTX-M gene was detected in 82% of the PCR-screened isolates (n = 50). Multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotypes were evident in 91% (70/77) of the isolates. In conclusion, ESBL-R E. coli was detected at a noticeable rate among healthy pet cats and dogs in the UAE, and the majority are MDR to clinically important antimicrobials such as fluoroquinolones and 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. Our results call for strengthening antimicrobial stewardship among companion animal veterinarians in the UAE to reduce the potential transmission of ESBL-R E. coli between pets, humans, and urban environments.

Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli Strains to Last Resort Human Antibiotics Isolated from Healthy Companion Animals in Valencia Region

“…These results agree with those reported in other studies carried out in Europe, with the results from Italy being the most similar to those of the present study [30]. Other authors have also reported the highest AMR to this antibiotic, ranging from 40 to almost 100% in different studies worldwide, regardless of whether they were studies carried out in asymptomatic [47][48][49][50] or symptomatic [43,44,[51][52][53][54] dogs and cats. Moreover, these results have also been found in food-producing animals [17] and humans [51,55], which highlights the global impact of this issue.…”

Phylodynamics Uncovers the Transmission of Antibiotic-ResistantEscherichia colibetween Canines and Humans in an Urban Environment

“…Knowing these rates could potentially be used to parameterize epidemiological models to predict the impact of interventions to reduce the burden of ARB gene carrying E coli. One possible explanation for the high similarity and transmission of the ABR-E. coli in humans and canines is a cohabitation between the two species such as canine ownership, which has been shown to contribute to E. coli sharing and long-term colonization (66), ( 64), (67). Alternatively, it is also possible the fecal samples originated from canines unrelated to the human samples such as passersby's walking their canines or strays.…”

Pathogenic E. coli in the Food Chain across the Arab Countries: A Descriptive Review

“…In humans, EIEC is the causative agent of the invasive, dysenteric form of diarrhea because of its ability to invade the colonic mucosa. EHEC produces Vero or Shiga toxins and is the causative agent of hemorrhagic colitis and bloody diarrhea [25,26].…”