The preservation rate of the Pasteurella species in domestic dogs and cats in Yamaguchi prefecture [Japan], the characteristic difference in the species between them, and the antimicrobial agent susceptibility of the isolates

In 2002 and 2003, we isolated Pasteurella species from 219 dogs and 81 cats, all of which were kept in Yamaguchi Prefecture. We investigated the identification of Pasteurella species, their reservation rate in oral cavities, and also the differentiation of the rate between dogs and cats. Dogs and cats are known as the primary source of human Pasteurellosis. We discovered that the reservation rate of Pasteurella species was 64.4% in dogs and 79.0% in cats. These high rates are not recognized in other zoonosis. We identified 233 isolates and classified them according to the source. The result showed that the most prevalent Pasteurella species of dog-isolates was P. dagmatis (Pd) 32.4%, followed by P. canis (Pc) 17.8%, P. multocida (Pm) 13.2%, P. stomatis(Ps) 9.9%, and P. pneumotropica (Ppn) 3.7%. On the other hand, Pm occupied 71.6% of cat-isolates and was the most prevalent species (in subspecies, multocida was 56.8%, septica was 12.3%, gallicida was 2.5%). It was followed by Ppn 7.5%, Pd 6.2%, and Ps 3.7%. We found the significant difference of reservation ratio between dogs and cats. In case of dogs the reservation rate of Pm, the most pathogenic species, was very low, while in cats it was so high as to occupy almost all of the Pasteurella species in the oral cavity. In the antimicrobial agent susceptibility of 233 isolates to 12 agents, high resistance rate (from 58.8% to 100%) to the Oxacillin (MPIPC) was observed in all of five Pasteurella species. Also, the resistance rate to the Amikacin (AMK) was 10.3% in Pm, 11.8% in Pd, and the rate to the Nalidixic acid (NA) was 1.1% in Pm, 2.6% in, PC, and 5.9% in Ps. To the Erythromycin (EM), the resistance was not recognized, but the ratio of the intermediate (I) was very high (from 34.2% to 96.6%) in all Pasteurella species. As a result, we may conclude that the clinical effects of the above-mentioned four antimicrobial agents may not be expected, but the effects of the other 8 agents may be high, because all Pasteurella species were sensitive to them.