Browsing by Author "Faustino, Alice Lopes"
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- Retrospective Study on the Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Exotic Pets from PortugalPublication . Faustino, Alice Lopes; Silveira, Maria Eduarda Moreno daAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a threat to global health, driven by the inappropriate use of these compounds across human, animal, and environmental sectors. Exotic animals, whose popularity has been increasing in Europe, may constitute an underrecognized reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, particularly in contexts with limited access to specialized veterinary care. The present single-practice retrospective study aimed to characterize the prevalence of AMR in bacteria isolated from exotic pets in Portugal between 2022 and 2024. A total of 365 clinical samples were collected, yielding 478 isolates originating from mammals (n=271), birds (n=67), and reptiles (n=27). The most frequently isolated bacteria were Escherichia coli (9.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8.8%), Enterobacter cloacae (6%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.9%), and Staphylococcus aureus (4.6%). Enterobacterales, which accounted for 37.7% of all isolates, exhibited a high prevalence of AMR: 95.6% were resistant to at least one antimicrobial compound, and 50% displayed multidrug-resistance (MDR), with E. coli, K. pneumoniae, and E. cloacae showing resistance to six or seven antimicrobial families. More than half of non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria and Haemophilus influenzae were carriers of AMR (57.5%), with 16.7% exhibiting MDR profiles. A high rate of AMR was also observed among Gram-positive isolates (70.2%) with a prevalence of S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and S. haemolyticus exhibiting MDR profiles. The most common co-resistance patterns identified included β-lactams with fluoroquinolones (Enterobacterales), cephalosporins with fluoroquinolones (Pseudomonas spp.), and amikacin with either macrolides or lincosamides (Gram-positive bacteria). These findings offer important insights into the prevalence of AMR among exotic pets, an area that remains underrepresented in the scientific literature. To address this gap and effectively mitigate the risks of interspecies transmission, it is crucial to include these species in studies employing representative sampling strategies and to develop species-specific guidelines for the prudent use and prescription of antimicrobials. Such measures are vital for confirming current trends, safeguarding the efficacy of critically important antimicrobials in human medicine, and informing evidence-based policy decisions in the field of exotic animal medicine.