N. Mezzasalma, C. Spadini, M. Iannarelli, S. L. Montanaro, F. Fidanzio, A. Corsini, E. Cataldo1, C. Quintavalla1, C. S. Cabassi

Hospital-associated infections (HAIs) are a major challenge in human and animals. On May 2022, a case of HAI was documented in a cat referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of University of Parma for signs of lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) with a sterile urine specimen. During hospitalization, the cat underwent catheterization for urethral obstruction and subsequently developed clinical signs suggestive of sepsis. Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from cat urine and blood. A HAI was hypothesized, and 65 environmental swabs were collected from different hospital surfaces (cages, fomites, computers). After bacteriological examination a wide environmental spread of Gram-negative bacteria was detected, among which 15 bacterial strains were selected for their zoonotic potential: 7 Enterobacter cloacae, 4 Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and Pantoea agglomerans. Antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolates was evaluated by disk-diffusion and MIC assays and for the presence of specific related resistance genes, namely ESBL, carbapenemases and AmpC. The results showed that most isolates were Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs); the presence of ESBL genes was detected in 13/15, AmpC genes in 7/15 and carbapenemase genes in 10/15 bacterial strains. Subsequently, all Klebsiella pneumoniae profiles were compared using Enterobacterial Repetitive Intragenic Consensus Sequences PCR showing close phylogenetic similarities. All Klebsiella isolates showed the same resistance profile (blaCTXM1, blaTEM, blaSHV, blaIMP) suggesting a possible common origin. This study underlines the importance of HAI control program in veterinary hospitals, aimed at avoiding the spread of zoonotic MDROs, thus reducing the public health associated risk.