Identification and evaluation of antimicrobial resistance of bacterial isolates from urinary infections in dogs and cats at the Veterinary Hospital of the University of São Paulo (HOVET USP)

• Grant number: 21/09813-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2022
• End date: March 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Natália Carrillo Gaeta
• Grantee: Victoria Tiemi Sorbello Sakauchi
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in human and veterinary medicine, especially in small animals. Bacterial infections are the most frequent, and the species commonly isolated are the gram-negative Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., and Enterobacter spp., and the gram-positive Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Enterococcus spp. The emergence of resistant strains in companion animals has been documented among these species, which is worrisome, given the greater risk of failures in antibiotic therapy. In addition to the impact on the veterinary clinic, resistant strains can also have consequences for human health, given the possibility of transmission from companion animals to their owners. Therefore, understanding the prevalence of bacterial resistance among urinary tract infection isolates and disclosing ways to mitigate it are relevant activities both from the point of view of veterinary medicine and public health. Therefore, this study aims to identify the prevalence and study the antimicrobial resistance profile of bacteria isolated from the urine of dogs and cats with UTIs treated at the USP Veterinary Hospital. For this, 25 dogs and cats diagnosed with the disease will be studied. The work will analyze bacteria isolated by the veterinary hospital, obtained from urine samples collected by cystocentesis guided by ultrasound. The isolates will be seeded on MacConkey agar and sheep blood agar, and the colonies will be identified for species using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization - Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF). The antimicrobial resistance profile will be performed according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), through disk diffusion tests (by the Kirby-Bauer method) and determination of the minimum inhibitory concentration for antimicrobials be selected. Furthermore, clinically significant resistance will be detected using the polymerase chain reaction when identifying phenotypic resistance. Data will be described in terms of their absolute and relative frequencies.(AU)