Virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolates from urine samples of dogs and cats
Abstract
Importance: Enterococci are opportunistic uropathogens increasingly associated with recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in companion animals, raising concerns about their virulence potential and high antimicrobial resistance.
Objective: To characterize the species distribution, virulence-associated genes, and antimicrobial resistance profiles of urinary Enterococcus isolates from dogs and cats with recurrent UTIs, including vancomycin resistance determinants.
Methods: This study analyzed 106 monomicrobial urinary Enterococcus isolates from 61 dogs and 45 cats with recurrent UTIs. Species identification was followed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction for vanA, vanB, vanC1, and vanC2 and for virulence-associated genes (fsr, efm, esp, cylA, cad1, ace, gelE, and asa1). The antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disc diffusion. The associations were evaluated using univariate comparisons and multivariable analyses.
Results: Among the 106 isolates, 68 (64.2%) were Enterococcus faecalis and 38 (35.8%) Enterococcus faecium. E. faecalis was more frequently isolated from cats than dogs (77.8% vs. 54.1%; odds ratio, 2.97). The virulence profiles differed according to species; E. faecalis was more likely to carry ace, gelE, asa1, cylA, fsr, and esp, and showed a higher overall virulence profile. The prevalence of resistance was high for erythromycin (82.1%), rifampicin (78.3%), tetracyclines (70.8%), and fluoroquinolones (~59%), with multidrug resistance detected in…
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