High multidrug resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in companion animals, southern Chile

Main Article Content

Natalia Francisca Urzúa Pizarro
Maira Ruth Delgado Gutiérrez

Abstract

This study investigated phenotypic antimicrobial resistance in bacterial isolates from clinical samples of dogs and cats in southern Chile between 2021 and 2022. A total of 140 samples (109 from dogs, 31 from cats) were analyzed. Bacterial identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were performed using standard biochemical methods and Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion, interpreted according to The Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines. The most frequent sample types were skin in dogs (50.5 %) and urine in cats (38.7 %). Coagulase-negative staphylococci (29.3 %), Escherichia coli (20.7 %), and Staphylococcus aureus (17.9 %) were the most commonly isolated bacteria. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was observed in 52 % of S. aureus and 51.7 % of E. coli isolates. Two isolates showed profiles suggestive of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production. E. coli exhibited resistance to all tested antimicrobials except imipenem. These findings reveal worrisome resistance patterns in companion animals in southern Chile and underscore the urgent need to integrate these species into regional antimicrobial resistance surveillance efforts.

Keywords:
Antimicrobial resistance, Dog, Cat, S. aureus, E.coli, Chile

Article Details

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