Characterization of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from dogs and cats in Japan: current status of antimicrobial resistance and prevailing resistance mechanisms.

Seventy-three Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates were collected from dogs and cats in Japan to investigate antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance mechanisms to anti-pseudomonal agents. Resistance rates against orbifloxacin, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, aztreonam and gentamicin were 34.2, 31.5, 20.5, 17.8, 12.3 and 4.1%, respectively. The degree of resistance to cefotaxime, orbifloxacin, and enrofloxacin was greatly affected by efflux pump inhibitors, indicating overexpression of efflux pump contributes to these resistances. Notably, orbifloxacin and enrofloxacin resistance was observed even in isolates without mutations in the target sites. This is the first report on cephalosporin- and fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates of P. aeruginosa from Japanese companion animals.