Antibiotic Resistance Profiles in Relation to Virulence Factors and Phylogenetic Groups of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Isolated from Dogs and Cats

In this study, we assessed the relationship between antibiotic-resistance profiles, virulence genotype, and phylogenetic group within a collection of Escherichia coli obtained from dogs and cats with urinary tract infection (UTI). Forty uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains isolated from dogs (n=30) and cats (n=10), formerly analyzed for virulence factors (VFs) and phylogenetic group, were tested to detect antibiotic resistance for gentamicin (GM), trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (SXT), nitrofurantoin (NT), enrofloxacin (ENO), cephalothin (CF), cephoperazone (CFP), cefovecin (CVN), piperacillin (PIP), and amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (AMC). A large number of isolates were resistant to cephalosporins, especially to third-generation drugs, while the lowest level of resistance was found to SXT. No statistically significant results were obtained (P>0.05). Concerning antimicrobial resistance associated with VFs, only gene iutA showed an association trend with multidrug resistance (MDR; P=0.055). Resistant strains were distributed in all phylogenetic groups (57%, B2; 43%, non-B2), whereas E. coli isolates susceptible to all antibiotics tested were associated with groups B2 (90%) and D (10%).