Prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Enterobacteriaceae in the north of Kazakhstan

Background: An increasing number of drugs are used each year in the treatment of small pets (cats and dogs), including medicines (cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones) used in human therapy. Aim: The purpose of this study was to isolate and explore the antibiotic resistance of opportunistic Enterobacteriaceae (E. coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Citrobacter, Enterobacter) from cats and dogs, and to isolate resistance genes in the microorganisms. Methods: During 2021, 808 samples of biological material from small domestic animals were collected in veterinary clinics in Kostanay. From these, 210 microorganisms were isolated and identified. Results: A large majority of the strains sampled belonged to E. coli – 149 (70.9%), Enterobacter – 11 (5.2%), Klebsiella – 28 (13.3%), Proteus – 12 (5.7%) and 10 Citrobacter isolates (4.8%). In all isolates identified, antibiotic resistance/sensitivity was determined by disc-diffusion method to ampicillin, cefoxitin, gentamicin, levomycetin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, cefoperazone, cefpodoxime, streptomycin, kanamycin, doxycycline, gemifloxacin, nalidixic acid, furazolidone, furadonine, amoxicillin and enrofloxacin. Conclusion: Study has demonstrated that the greatest number of Enterobacteriaceae were sensitive to the action of meropenem, which belongs to the group of beta-lactam antibiotics; resistance was demonstrated against tetracycline, doxycycline, ampicillin, amoxicillin, ofloxacin and cefpodoxime. The most common genes encoding antimicrobial resistance were as follows: BlaTEM and OXA in 41 and 28 isolates, respectively, encoding resistance to beta-lactams; StrA and StrB in 45 and 48 isolates encoding aminoglycosides; and tetA and tetB in 43 and 28 isolates encoding tetracyclines. Obtained data demonstrate that uncontrolled and frequent use of beta-lactam and tetracycline antibacterials, in cats and dogs, results in the spread of genotypic resistance among micro-organisms of the family Enterobacteriaceae. [Open Vet J 2024; 14(2.000): 604-616]