Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of <em>Escherichia coli </em>Strains Isolated from Stray Cats in South Spain

Stray cats act as reservoirs of pathogens and resistance genes, representing a risk to public health, especially in urban and peri-urban areas due to their mobility and, in some cases, the lack of sanitary control. One of the most relevant zoonotic agents is Escherichia coli, a pathogen of the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals that causes infection/disease and can be transmitted from one species to another. We investigated a total of 169 rectal swabs from feline colonies in the municipality of Benalmadena (province of Málaga, south Spain). The microbiological identification process included bacterial isolation on selective media (XLD), standard biochemical tests and the MALDI-TOF identification system. A total of 68 E. coli strains were thus confirmed (40.23%). Subsequently, an antimicrobial resistance analysis was carried out using automatized methods (Sensititre); each isolate was evaluated by MIC against 15 antimicrobial agents. E. coli strains showed a high percentage of sensitivity. The most relevant finding was the resistance of the strains to azithromycin (100%), as well as a moderate resistance to sulfonamides (25%) and ampicillin (20.6%). The percentage of multidrug resistance (MDR) was found in 13.23% of the strains studied. In relation to the rest of the antimicrobials evaluated, the strains presented high percentages of sensitivity. It can be concluded that our research represents the first confirmation of commensal Escherichia coli in stray cats in Spain indicating a moderate-high prevalence as well as a low MDR levels. The control of the health status of these animals under a One Health approach is necessary due to their direct impact on public health.