Companion Animals: Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacterial and Fungal Pathogens Associated with Skin and Ear Infections

A special issue of Antibiotics (ISSN 2079-6382). This special issue belongs to the section "Antibiotics in Animal Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 2262

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Preclinical Sciences and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
Interests: dermatophytes; antifungal resistance mechanisms; veterinary mycology; antifungals; drug susceptibility of fungi; pathogenesis of fungal infections
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Internal Diseases and Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
Interests: companion animals; skin disease; atopic dermatitis; bacterial and yeast dermatitis; antimicrobial resistance

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The role of animals kept at home, which was once primarily for protection against predators, as a source of warmth and food, has evolved alongside human progress. Their "practical" function has shifted to that of being companions and family members. As our perception of animals has evolved, so has our attitude toward them. Just 20 years ago, it was unthinkable for a dog or cat to sleep in the same bed as its owner or spend entire days close to household members. The concept of accompanying animals, once associated with dogs and cats, has been expanded. Every animal kept in a home or with which the owner shares a special bond is referred to as a pet. This close contact between animals and their owners also led to an increase in cases of infection in people caused by typical animal pathogens and infections in animals caused by bacteria and fungi commonly associated with people.

Despite rapid civilizational progress, an increasing standard of living for pets, longer life expectancy, and access to more sufficient treatments, these animals, just like their owners, are increasingly suffering from various types of atopic dermatitis, allergies, and chronic immunological diseases. These conditions result in recurring and more difficult-to-treat infections of the skin and ears. This, in turn, creates a dangerous environment in which the frequent use of antibiotics, antifungal drugs, and steroids leads to the emergence of resistant and multi-drug-resistant pathogens, which becomes a significant challenge regarding the effective treatment of animals and represents a potential source of resistant pathogens for other animals and humans.

Thus, this Special Issue is being launched on this topic. It aims to present crucial information about recent and ongoing research and trends concerning antibiotic and antifungal resistance in pathogens. It will cover the mechanisms underlying resistance, potential transmission and retransmission, zoonotic potential, and infections related to skin and ears in accompanying animals.

Dr. Dominik Łagowski
Dr. Ewelina Czyzewska-Dors
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • dermatophytes
  • Candida
  • companion animals
  • drug susceptibility
  • Malassezia
  • mechanisms of resistance
  • molecular detection
  • Pseudomonas
  • Staphylococcus
  • One Health
  • MDR
  • veterinary

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 3299 KiB  
Article
Trends in Antimicrobial Resistance of Canine Otitis Pathogens in the Iberian Peninsula (2010–2021)
by Biel Garcias, Mar Batalla, Anna Vidal, Inma Durán and Laila Darwich
Antibiotics 2025, 14(4), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics14040328 - 21 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 673
Abstract
Background: The close relationship between humans and petsraises health concerns due to the potential transmission of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria and genes. Bacterial otitis is an emerging health problem in dogs, given its widespread prevalence and impact on animal welfare. Early detection of [...] Read more.
Background: The close relationship between humans and petsraises health concerns due to the potential transmission of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria and genes. Bacterial otitis is an emerging health problem in dogs, given its widespread prevalence and impact on animal welfare. Early detection of resistance is vital in veterinary medicine to anticipate future treatment challenges. Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of AMR bacteria involved in 12,498 cases of otitis in dogs from the Iberian Peninsula and the evolution of AMR patterns over an 11-year period. Methods: Data was provided by the Veterinary Medicine Department of a large private diagnostic laboratory in Barcelona. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the standard disk diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) testing. Results: The frequency of the principal bacterial agents was 35% Staphylococcus spp. (principally S. pseudointermedius), 20% Pseudomonas spp. (P. aeruginosa), 13% Streptococcus spp. (S. canis), and 11% Enterobacterales (Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed P. aeruginosa (among Gram-negatives) and Enterococcus faecalis (among Gram-positives) as the species with the highest AMR to multiple antimicrobial classes throughout the years. According to the frequency and time evolution of multidrug resistance (MDR), Gram-negative bacteria like P. mirabilis (33%) and E. coli (25%) presented higher MDR rates compared to Gram-positive strains like Corynebacterium (7%) and Enterococcus (5%). The AMR evolution also showed an increase in resistance patterns in Proteus spp. to doxycycline and Streptococcus spp. to amikacin. Conclusions: This information can be useful for clinicians, particularly in this region, to make rational antimicrobial use decisions, especially when empirical treatment is common in companion animal veterinary medicine. In summary, improving treatment guidelines is a key strategy for safeguarding both animal and human health, reinforcing the One Health approach. Full article
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11 pages, 294 KiB  
Article
Future Challenge: Assessing the Antibiotic Susceptibility Patterns of Staphylococcus Species Isolated from Canine Otitis Externa Cases in Western Romania
by János Dégi, Sorin Morariu, Florin Simiz, Viorel Herman, Florin Beteg and Diana Maria Dégi
Antibiotics 2024, 13(12), 1162; https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics13121162 - 2 Dec 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1167
Abstract
Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has surfaced as a critical challenge to public health on a global scale. The precise and swift identification of resistance to antimicrobial agents, along with timely and suitable antimicrobial therapy paired with effective stewardship practices, is crucial for managing [...] Read more.
Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has surfaced as a critical challenge to public health on a global scale. The precise and swift identification of resistance to antimicrobial agents, along with timely and suitable antimicrobial therapy paired with effective stewardship practices, is crucial for managing the rise and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. The objective of our investigation was to outline the antimicrobial resistance profile of Staphylococcus spp., a significant contributor to canine otitis, a prevalent condition in dogs, isolated in Western Romania. Methods and Materials: All data were collected from clinical cases of canine otitis externa which presented at the University Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Timișoara/Romania. A clinical evaluation was conducted, from which era swabs are usually collected and sent for analysis at the laboratory. Laboratory analysis included the microbiological examination for identifying Staphylococcus spp. and determining antibiotic susceptibility phenotypes. Statistical analysis was implemented on all data that were collected. The ear swabs were processed with standard procedures for cultivating and identifying bacteria. The resulting subcultures were processed to determine the staphylococcal species on the GP ID Cards of the Vitek® 2 automatic system. The antimicrobial susceptibility profiles were detected by the Vitek® 2 system using an AST-GP80 card. These isolated Staphylococcus spp. strains were further processed by real-time PCR and PCR-RFLP. Results: Of all the auricular exudate samples analyzed, 76 were positive for Staphylococcus spp. (59.38%). Within these, in 82% of auricular samples, six distinct Staphylococcus spp. were identified (Staphylococcus (S.) pseudintermedius, S. intermedius, S. hyicus, S. delphiny, S. shleiferi, and S. aureus). Our data indicate that the PCR-RFLP assay is a practical approach to S. pseudintermedius identification, allowing for discrimination from the other Staphylococcus Intermedius Group (SIG) species and important staphylococcal pathogens of dogs. The highest frequency of resistant S. pseudintermedius isolates was detected against tetracycline (21/34; 61.76%; p-value 0.003), gentamicin (20/34; 58.82%), and kanamycin (20/34; 58.82%). Conclusions: These results are essential to guide the prudent use of antibiotics in veterinary medicine. They will also help design efficient control strategies and measure their effectiveness. Full article
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