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

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.