Identification through MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and antimicrobial susceptibility profiling of bacterial pathogens isolated from sow urinary tract infection

Vet Q. 2018 Dec;38(1):1-8. doi: 10.1080/01652176.2017.1397302.

Abstract

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common disease in sows due to intensification of pig production. Despite direct economic losses, UTI prevalence and respective microbial identification are still poorly studied.

Objective: The aims of this study were to identify the causative agents of UTI in sows through MALDI-TOF MS and to characterize their antimicrobial resistance profiles.

Materials and methods: Urine samples from 300 sows of three herds from São Paulo State (Brazil) were screened for UTI; suggestive samples were submitted to bacterial isolation. Species identification was performed by MALDI-TOF MS and susceptibility profiles were determined using disc diffusion method.

Results: 128 samples suggestive of UTI were analyzed; 48% of the animals presented UTI caused by a single pathogen, while the remaining 52% presented mixed infection. Escherichia coli stood out with the highest frequency among both single and mixed infections. The Gram-positive were exclusively associated with 27% of single infections. The mixed infections were further classified into 49 profiles. The high frequency of multiresistant profiles stood out for most of the studied isolates.

Conclusions: MALDI-TOF MS enabled the identification of rare pathogens related to UTI which may represent higher risk for porcine health, especially considering high frequency of multiresistant profiles.

Keywords: MALDI-TOF; Porcine; antimicrobial resistance; infection; swine; urine.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Brazil / epidemiology
  • Databases, Nucleic Acid
  • Drug Resistance, Microbial
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Escherichia coli / isolation & purification
  • Escherichia coli Infections / drug therapy
  • Escherichia coli Infections / epidemiology
  • Escherichia coli Infections / veterinary
  • Female
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / genetics
  • Gram-Negative Bacteria / isolation & purification
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / epidemiology
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / veterinary*
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / genetics
  • Gram-Positive Bacteria / isolation & purification
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / drug therapy
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / epidemiology
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / veterinary*
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Swine
  • Swine Diseases / drug therapy
  • Swine Diseases / epidemiology
  • Swine Diseases / microbiology*
  • Urinary Tract Infections / drug therapy
  • Urinary Tract Infections / epidemiology
  • Urinary Tract Infections / microbiology
  • Urinary Tract Infections / veterinary*
  • Urine / microbiology

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents

Grants and funding

This study was supported by Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). C.E.C. Matajira and L.Z. Moreno are recipients of FAPESP fellowships [grants numbers 2015/26159-1 and 2016/25745-7]. A.M. Moreno is a CNPq fellow.