Distribution of sequence types and antimicrobial resistance of clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from dogs and cats visiting a veterinary teaching hospital in Thailand

Background Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen in dogs and cats and is resistant to several antimicrobial drugs; however, data on the clonal distribution of P. aeruginosa in veterinary hospital are limited.

This study aimed to investigate the clonal dissemination and antimicrobial resistance of clinical P. aeruginosa in a veterinary teaching hospital in Thailand within a 1-year period.

Minimum inhibitory concentration determination and whole genome sequencing were used for antimicrobial susceptibility analysis and genetic determination, respectively.

Results Forty-nine P. aeruginosa were isolated mostly from the skin, urinary tract, and ear canal of 39 dogs and 10 cats.

These isolates belonged to 39 sequence types (STs) that included 9 strains of high-risk clones of ST235 ( n  = 2), ST244 ( n  = 2), ST274 ( n  = 2), ST277 ( n  = 1), ST308 ( n  = 1), and ST357 ( n  = 1).

Overall antimicrobial resistance rate was low (< 25%), and no colistin-resistant strains were found.

Two carbapenem-resistant strains belonging to ST235 and ST3405 were identified.

Conclusions Clinical P. aeruginosa in dogs and cats represent STs diversity.

High-risk clones and carbapenem-resistant strains are a public health concern.

Nevertheless, this study was limited by a small number of isolates.

Continuous monitoring is needed, particularly in large-scale settings with high numbers of P. aeruginosa , to restrict bacterial transfer from companion animal to humans in a veterinary hospital.