Bacteria isolated from equine uteri in The United Arab Emirates: A retrospective study

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) presents a unique environment in which to breed horses with a non-physiological breeding season coupled with high temperatures and humidity for much of the year. This study aimed to describe bacterial isolates from the uteri of mares in the UAE and compare them to those reported elsewhere in the world. Bacterial antibiotic resistance was also analysed to give a starting point for future monitoring. A total of 2022 swabs taken over 5 breeding seasons from the endometrium (n = 1350) or from uterine lavages (n = 672) were submitted for microbiological culture and antibiotic sensitivity testing. At 48h post inoculation 616/2022 (30.5%) of cultures showed microbial growth from which 690 isolates were identified. Most positive plates (548/616; 89%) grew one isolate; 68 cultures had two (62/616; 10.1%) or three (6/616; 1%) isolates. The most frequently isolated bacteria were β-haemolytic Streptococcus (36.5%; 252/690), E. coli (10.6%; 73/690), P. aeruginosa (10.1%; 70/690), K. pneumoniae (8.8%; 61/690) and Aeromonas hydrophila (4.1%; 28/690). The lowest level of antibiotic susceptibility for all isolates was shown by trimethoprim-sulphonamide (36.4%; 198/544), with amikacin showing the highest (76.1%; 271/356). A significant decrease in susceptibility to doxycycline, enrofloxacin and erythromycin, but a significant increase for amoxicillin with clavulanic acid, was seen for β-haemolytic Streptococcus. Decreasing susceptibility of trimethoprim-sulphonamide between two time periods was seen for E. coli. Compared to other studies UAE-based mares had a high incidence of P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae isolates, whereas E. coli was represented far less frequently as an isolate.

Temporal efficacy of antimicrobials against aerobic bacteria isolated from equine endometritis: an Italian retrospective analysis (2010-2017)

This study aimed to describe bacteria isolated from the reproductive tract of mares and to identify changes in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns to those antibiotics commonly used for the treatment of equine endometritis. A total of 4122 equine uterine swabs were collected from mares suffering from reproductive tract disorders in the period 2010-2017. Aerobic culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing using agar disc diffusion were performed on each sample. Aerobic bacteria were isolated from 3171 of 4122 (76.9 per cent) samples. The most frequently isolated microorganisms were Escherichia coli (885/3171, 27.9 per cent) and Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (791/3171, 24.9 per cent), confirming previous findings from the literature. Antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of E coli, S equi subspecies zooepidemicus and Klebsiella pneumoniae changed over time. A statistically significant decrease in antimicrobial efficacy of cefquinome against E coli was observed over the years, as well as of ampicillin, cefquinome and penicillin against S equi subspecies zooepidemicus The high frequency of resistant bacteria isolated in the present work proceeds in the same way as indicated by surveillance data on the huge antibiotic use in Italy. As a result, testing and monitoring programmes of antimicrobial efficacy are crucial to consciously using antibiotics and preserving their effectiveness both for veterinary and human medicine.