Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Enterococcal Species Isolated from Italian Dogs

Abstract

Abstract Monitoring planes of the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among bacteria isolated from both animals and humans should be considered essential and strategic for preserv‐ ing not only human health but also animal welfare (well-being). Moreover, the use of an‐ timicrobial in companion animals (pets) received little attention and is not currently regulated in comparison with what happens in livestock; for this reason, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in 165 different Enterococcus strains isolated from dogs (subjected to previous antibiotic treatment(s) or not) was determined. For each strain, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against 9 different antibiotics was assessed. While all iso‐ lated strains were susceptible to vancomycin, high resistance frequency toward erythro‐ mycin, rifampicin, enrofloxacin, and tetracycline was detected. Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from the previously treated dogs demonstrated more resistance to tetra‐ cycline compared to the control ones. Although canine enterococci showed a high degree of antibiotic resistance, they were susceptible to vancomycin, and for this reason, the hy‐ pothetical contamination of vancomycin-resistant enterococcal strains in dogs is still con‐ sidered to be minimal in Italy. Keywords: