Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter Species Isolated from Fecal Samples from Cats and Dogs in Iran

Surveillance and timely reporting of antimicrobial resistance patterns in Campylobacter spp. may provide important information to support actions directed at reducing the occurrence of resistance. In this study the antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. isolated from 173 samples of fresh feces from pet dogs (n = 126) and cats (n = 47) were investigated . Isolates were tested for susceptibility to antimicrobial drugs by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method using Mueller-Hinton agar according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. In this study, 61 of 173 fecal samples (35.3%) were found to be contaminated with Campylobacter. Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 48 dogs (38.1%) and from 13 cats (27.7%). Susceptibilities of 61 Campylobacter isolates were determined for 10 antimicrobial drugs. Most of the Campylobacter isolates (62.3%; n = 38) were resistant to one or more antimicrobial agents. Resistance to ciprofloxacin was the most common finding (41.0%), followed by resistance to tetracycline (39.3%), and nalidixic acid (34.4%). None of the dogs and cats isolates was resistant to chloramphenicol, and erythromycin. To reduce resistance rates in these pathogens, surveillance, research and the use of alternatives to antimicrobial treatment like vaccination are recommended.