Population Structure of Canine Uropathogenic E. coli Reveals Cross-Species Strain Sharing
Analysis of 295 E. coli isolates from canine urinary infections across five veterinary laboratories identified ST372 as the dominant canine uropathogen, distinct from typical human clonal groups. However, ESBL-producing isolates carrying blaCTX-M genes were associated with sequence types common in human infections, providing evidence for occasional cross-species transmission of antimicrobial-resistant extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli.
The original study
Population Structure and Antimicrobial Resistance of Canine Uropathogenic Escherichia coli.
- Authors
- LeCuyer TE, Byrne BA, Daniels JB, Diaz-Campos DV, Hammac GK, Miller CB, et al.
- Journal
- Journal of clinical microbiology
- Type
- Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
- PMID
- 29997200
Original abstract
Escherichia coli is the most common cause of human and canine urinary tract infection (UTI). Clonal groups, often with high levels of antimicrobial resistance, are a major component of the E. coli population that causes human UTI. While little is known about the population structure of E. coli that causes UTI in dogs, there is evidence that dogs and humans can share fecal strains of E. coli and that human-associated strains can cause disease in dogs. In order to better characterize the E. coli strains that cause canine UTI, we analyzed 295 E. coli isolates obtained from canine urine samples from five veterinary diagnostic laboratories and analyzed their multilocus sequence types, phenotypic and genotypic antimicrobial resistance profiles, and virulence-associated gene repertoires. Sequence type 372 (ST372), an infrequent human pathogen, was the predominant sequence type in dogs at all locations. Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing isolates with blaCTX-M genes were uncommon in canine isolates but when present were often associated with sequence types that have been described in human infections. This provides support for occasional cross-host-species sharing of strains that cause extraintestinal disease and highlights the importance of understanding the role of companion animals in the overall transmission patterns of extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli.