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. 2023 Jun 16:11:1161950.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1161950. eCollection 2023.

Epidemiology of companion animal AMR in the United States of America: filling a gap in the one health approach

Kurtis E Sobkowich  1 , J Scott Weese  2   3 , Zvonimir Poljak  1 , Andy Plum  4 , Donald Szlosek  4 , Theresa M Bernardo  1
Affiliations

Epidemiology of companion animal AMR in the United States of America: filling a gap in the one health approach

Kurtis E Sobkowich et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern that affects all aspects of the One Health Triad, including human, animal, and environmental health. Companion animals, such as cats and dogs, may contribute to the spread of AMR through their close contact with humans and the frequent prescription of antimicrobials. However, research on AMR in companion animals is limited, and there are few surveillance measures in place to monitor the spread of resistant pathogens in the United States.

Methods: This study aims to explore the practicality of using data from commercial laboratory antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) services for epidemiological analyses of AMR in companion animals in the United States.

Results: The study analyzed 25,147,300 individual AST results from cats and dogs submitted to a large commercial diagnostic laboratory in the United States between 2019 and 2021, and found that resistance to certain antimicrobials was common in both E. coli and S. pseudintermedius strains.

Conclusion: There has been a paucity of information regarding AMR in companion animals in comparison to human, environmental and other animal species. Commercial AST datasets may prove beneficial in providing more representation to companion animals within the One Health framework for AMR.

Keywords: E. coli; S. pseudintermedius; antimicrobial resistance; companion animal; epidemiology.

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Conflict of interest statement

AP and DS were employed by IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. TB holds the IDEXX Chair in Emerging Technologies and Preventive Healthcare. KS was supported by the IDEXX Chair. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of the United States, depicting the percentage of E. coli isolates, from urinary tract infections in cats and dogs, found to be resistant to amoxicillin between 2019 and 2021.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Maps of the United States, depicting the relative risks of amoxicillin resistant E. coli, from urinary tract infections in cats and dogs observed in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Map of the United States, depicting the percentage of S. pseudintermedius isolates, from skin infections in cats and dogs, found to be resistant to cephalexin between 2019 and 2021.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Maps of the United States, depicting the relative risks of cephalexin resistant S. pseudintermedius, from skin infections in cats and dogs observed in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Map of the United States, depicting the percentage of E. coli isolates from cats and dogs found to be resistant to cephalosporins (III) between 2019 and 2021.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Maps of the United States, depicting the relative risks of cephalosporin (III) resistant E. coli infections in cats and dogs observed in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Map of the United States, depicting the percentage of S. pseudintermedius isolates from cats and dogs found to be resistant to methicillin/oxacillin between 2019 and 2021.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Maps of the United States, depicting the relative risks of methicillin/oxacillin resistant S. pseudintermedius infections in cats and dogs observed in 2019, 2020, and 2021.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Probability matrix for observing the same AST interpretation between pairwise drug combination in E. coli isolated from urine samples from cats and dogs.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Probability matrix for observing the same AST interpretation between pairwise drug combination in S. pseudintermedius isolated from skin samples from cats and dogs.
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