Antimicrobial-resistance trends in bacterial isolates from companion-animal community practice in the UK.

We conducted a longitudinal, retrospective investigation of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial isolates obtained from canine and feline clinical cases in veterinary community practice in UK (1989-1997). Individual-drug resistance was examined using isolates of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp. as Gram-negative and Gram-positive indicator organisms, respectively. The annual prevalence of resistance was calculated for each organism to each of nine (for E. coli) and 11 (for Staphylococcus spp.) selected antimicrobials. The annual prevalence of multiple-drug resistance (MDR) was calculated for E. coli, Proteus spp., Pseudomonas spp., staphylococci and streptococci. Using a chi-square test for trend, significant rising trends were identified in individual resistance of E. coli to clavulanate-amoxycillin and streptomycin, and in MDR of E. coli, Proteus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. Declining trends were identified in individual resistance of Staphylococcus spp. to ampicillin and penicillin. Comparison with previously reported results from a contemporaneous investigation of companion-animal hospital patients indicated that selection pressures acting on the two populations overlapped but were not identical.