Abstract

MARTINEZ, Ania Ramón et al. Detection of multidrug-resistant Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in Cuba. Rev Salud Anim. [online]. 2023, vol.45  Epub June 05, 2023. ISSN 2224-4700.

Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is an opportunistic pathogen capable of causing various infections in the respiratory, genital, and urinary tracts of horses and other animals. This species is considered responsible for many emerging zoonotic diseases. There has been an increasing circulation of multidrug-resistant S. zooepidemicus strains in horses, however, there is no information on S. zooepidemicus and its antimicrobial susceptibility profile in Cuban horses. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to report the isolation of S. zooepidemicus in a horse and to determine its antimicrobial susceptibility profile. A mare with pale mucous membranes, owned by a private producer in Melena del Sur, Mayabeque, was sampled, and a swab was taken from the genital tract. The isolate obtained was identified using the analytical profile index and mass spectrometry. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 11 antibiotics (penicillin G, ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, cefquinome, imipenem, gentamicin, enrofloxacin, doxycycline, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, and vancomycin) was determined for the isolate. The isolate was identified as S. zooepidemicus and it was susceptible to all β-lactam, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, and vancomycin. The isolate presented a multidrug resistance profile to gentamicin, enrofloxacin, and doxycycline with MIC values of 16 μg/mL, 2 μg/mL, and 2 μg/mL, respectively. For the first time in Cuba, multidrug-resistant S. zooepidemicus was detected in the genital mucosa of a mare. The close interaction between humans and horses increases the risk of acquiring these multiresistant microorganisms or favoring their dissemination, thus this result should be considered in staff training.

Keywords : Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus; antimicrobial resistance; mare.

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