One Health approach: exploring associated factors for antimicrobial resistance in isolates from companion animals in Medellín, Colombia

Resumen

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance in companion animals is a neglected threat that can compromise public health. 

Despite this, there is little information and interest in its regard. 

Objective: To establish the factors associated with antimicrobial resistance and multidrug resistance in canine and feline patients from a veterinary clinic in Medellín. 

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed with 41 canines and 6 felines with positive bacteriological cultures. 

Data about clinical, zoographic, zootechnic and pet-human interactions factors were collected through surveys to animals’ guardians and
clinical records. 

A descriptive and association analysis between those factors, antimicrobial resistance and multidrug resistance was performed using bivariate statistics followed by a binomial logistic regression model with multidrug resistance as the outcome. 

Results: Sixty-nine bacteria were isolated from 57 samples. 

Out of these, 89.70% were resistant and 48.60% showed multidrug resistance. 

Clinical, zootechnical, and pet-human interaction factors are mostly associated with multidrug resistance rather than resistance to at least one antibiotic. 

Cohabitation with health personnel and supplement consumption stood out as variables associated with multidrug resistance. 

Conclusions: This study explores a pathway for antimicrobial resistance research highlighting its occurrence in companion animals and its risk to public health. 

It identifies factors associated with resistance and proposes further research to determine a possible interspecies transfer and whether these factors exert selective pressure on the animal microbiome. 

Additionally, it emphasizes the need to explore this phenomenon from the understanding of the dynamics of dual health and the affective bond between humans and animals.