Occurrence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae among pet dogs and cats: An emerging public health threat outside health care facilities

摘要

Extended spectrum fi-lactamases (ESPLs) are plasmid-mediated enzymes that have the ability to hydrolyze P-lactams and thus inactivate a wide range of antibiotics.1 During the 1980s, ESfSL-pro-ducing members of the Enterobacteriaceae family of bacteria were first introduced to the scientific community when ES)3L-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae emerged as the cause of dangerous nosoco-mial infections.2'3 Since then, ES PL-producing members of the Enterobacteriaceae family have become the focus of many clinicians, epidemiologists, and microbiologists. As time advances, these pathogens are becoming a critical worry because they constitute a great challenge in human medicine and public health and a major concern associated with nosocomial infections.4 Meanwhile, ESpL-producing members of the Enterobacteriaceae family have gone beyond the hospital boundaries and many cases of community-acquired ESpL infections have been recorded worldwide.5 The spread of infections caused by community-acquired ES PL-producing members of the Enterobacteriaceae family convey a great clinical significance, especially among Escherichia coli and K pneumoniae strains, because these may be accompanied by severe clinical outcomes, including urinary tract infections, bacteremias, splenic abscesses, and sepsis.6"9 Despite the great influence of community-acquired infections caused by ESPL producers in human medicine, the epidemiology of such pathogens is largely unknown, as is the gate through which these organisms go outside hospitals to invade the community.