Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Antimicrobial susceptibility and production of virulence factors by bacteria recovered from bitches with pyometra.
- Journal:
- Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene
- Year:
- 2022
- Authors:
- Rocha, Marcos F G et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Pathology and Legal Medicine · Brazil
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Pyometra is a serious infection of the uterus that commonly affects adult female dogs. In this study, researchers looked at samples from 30 dogs diagnosed with pyometra to identify the bacteria present and see how resistant they were to antibiotics. They found a total of 82 bacterial strains, with Escherichia coli being the most common. About half of the bacteria tested were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and the resistance was notably higher in certain types of bacteria. Interestingly, the bacteria produced low levels of factors that typically help them cause disease, suggesting that the dog's own health may play a bigger role in developing pyometra than the bacteria itself.
Abstract
Pyometra is one of the most common diseases in adult female dogs, characterized by a suppurative bacterial infection of the uterus with accumulation of inflammatory exudate and a variety of local and systemic clinical manifestations. This study aimed to identify the bacteria within the uterine content and vaginal canal of bitches with pyometra and evaluate their antimicrobial susceptibility and production of virulence factors. Uterine and vaginal content were collected with sterile swabs from 30 bitches diagnosed with pyometra. Bacteria were identified and assessed for their antimicrobial susceptibility and production of virulence factors, including biofilms, siderophores, proteases and hemolysins, both in planktonic and biofilm forms. A total of 82 bacterial isolates (35 uterus, 47 vagina), belonging to 21 species, were identified, with Escherichia coli as the most prevalent species (32/82, 39%). As for susceptibility, 39/79 (49.4%) isolates were resistant to one or more drugs, with resistance proportion among Gram-positive bacteria (87.5%) higher (p < .05) than that observed for Gram-negative bacteria (32.7%). Four coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species were resistant to methicillin. Regarding virulence, the isolates had low production of biofilms, siderophores, proteases and hemolysins, suggesting that the occurrence of pyometra might be more associated with host-related factors than bacterial virulence.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35696284/