Distribution of sequence types and antimicrobial resistance of clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from dogs and cats visiting a veterinary teaching hospital in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen in dogs and cats and is resistant to several antimicrobial drugs; however, data on the clonal distribution of P. aeruginosa in veterinary hospital are limited. This study aimed to investigate the clonal dissemination and antimicrobial resistance of clinical P. aeruginosa in a veterinary teaching hospital in Thailand within a 1-year period. Minimum inhibitory concentration determination and whole genome sequencing were used for antimicrobial susceptibility analysis and genetic determination, respectively. RESULTS: Forty-nine P. aeruginosa were isolated mostly from the skin, urinary tract, and ear canal of 39 dogs and 10 cats. These isolates belonged to 39 sequence types (STs) that included 9 strains of high-risk clones of ST235 (n = 2), ST244 (n = 2), ST274 (n = 2), ST277 (n = 1), ST308 (n = 1), and ST357 (n = 1). Overall antimicrobial resistance rate was low (< 25%), and no colistin-resistant strains were found. Two carbapenem-resistant strains belonging to ST235 and ST3405 were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical P. aeruginosa in dogs and cats represent STs diversity. High-risk clones and carbapenem-resistant strains are a public health concern. Nevertheless, this study was limited by a small number of isolates. Continuous monitoring is needed, particularly in large-scale settings with high numbers of P. aeruginosa, to restrict bacterial transfer from companion animal to humans in a veterinary hospital.

Isolation and characterisation of a novel Silviavirus bacteriophage promising antimicrobial agent against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.

The increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) emphasises the urgent need for novel antimicrobial agents as alternatives to antibiotics. Bacteriophage therapy is one of the most promising antimicrobial strategies. Here, we isolated and comprehensively characterized a novel Staphylococcus phage, vB_SauM_VL10 (VL10), from urban sewage. The VL10 genome displays 141,746 bp of linear double-stranded DNA, containing 193 open reading frames and lacking tRNA, virulence, or antibiotic resistance genes. Phylogenetic analysis categorizes VL10 as a novel species within the Silviavirus genus, Twortvirinae subfamily. VL10 exhibits lytic behaviour characterized by efficient adsorption, a short latent period, and substantial burst size, with environmental stability. It demonstrates lytic activity against 79.06% of tested S. aureus strains, highlighting its species specificity. Additionally, VL10 effectively targets MRSA biofilms, reducing biomass and viable cells. In MRSA-infected G. mellonella larvae, VL10 enhances survival rates, supporting its potential for phage therapy applications. Moreover, the emergence of VL10-resistant S. aureus strains associated with fitness trade-offs, including reduced growth, biofilm formation, and virulence. Altogether, these findings emphasize VL10 as a promising candidate for developing therapeutic agents against MRSA infections, providing insights into phage biology and resistance dynamics.

A novel virulent Litunavirus phage possesses therapeutic value against multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a notable nosocomial pathogen that can cause severe infections in humans and animals. The emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa has motivated the development of phages to treat the infections. In this study, a novel Pseudomonas phage, vB_PaeS_VL1 (VL1), was isolated from urban sewage. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that VL1 is a novel species in the genus Litunavirus of subfamily Migulavirinae. The VL1 is a virulent phage as no genes encoding lysogeny, toxins or antibiotic resistance were identified. The therapeutic potential of phage VL1 was investigated and revealed that approximately 56% (34/60 strains) of MDR P. aeruginosa strains, isolated from companion animal diseases, could be lysed by VL1. In contrast, VL1 did not lyse other Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria suggesting its specificity of infection. Phage VL1 demonstrated high efficiency to reduce bacterial load (~ 6 log cell number reduction) and ~ 75% reduction of biofilm in pre-formed biofilms of MDR P. aeruginosa. The result of two of the three MDR P. aeruginosa infected Galleria mellonella larvae showed that VL1 could significantly increase the survival rate of infected larvae. Taken together, phage VL1 has genetic and biological properties that make it a potential candidate for phage therapy against P. aeruginosa infections.