{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T19:14:17Z","timestamp":1790709257223,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,9]],"date-time":"2023-05-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1683590400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Sandooq Al Watan (National Fund in English) foundation in the United Arab Emirates through an undergraduate student fellowship","award":["SWARD Fellowship RJ-SWF-584"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SWARD Fellowship RJ-SWF-584"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Extended-spectrum \u03b2-lactamases resistant (ESBL-R) Escherichia coli (E. coli) has been reported from healthy and sick pets. However, data from Middle Eastern countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are minimal. This study provides the first evidence of ESBL-R E. coli carriage among pets in the UAE. A total of 148 rectal swabs were collected from domestic cats (n = 122) and dogs (n = 26) attending five animal clinics in the UAE. Samples were cultured directly onto selective agar, and suspected colonies were confirmed as ESBL-producing using phenotypic and molecular methods. Confirmed isolates were screened for their phenotypic resistance to twelve antimicrobial agents using the Kirby Bauer method. The owners of the pets completed a questionnaire at the time of sampling, and the data were used to identify risk factors. ESBL-R E. coli was detected in rectal swabs of 35 out of 148 animals (23.65%) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 17.06\u201331.32). Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified cats and dogs with access to water in ditches and puddles as 3.71 (p-value = 0.020) times more likely to be positive to ESBL-R E. coli than those without access to open water sources. Ciprofloxacin resistance was evident in 57.14% (44\/77) of the ESBL-R E. coli isolates. The percentage of resistance to azithromycin and cefepime was 12.99% (10\/77) and 48.05% (37\/77), respectively. The blaCTX-M gene was detected in 82% of the PCR-screened isolates (n = 50). Multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotypes were evident in 91% (70\/77) of the isolates. In conclusion, ESBL-R E. coli was detected at a noticeable rate among healthy pet cats and dogs in the UAE, and the majority are MDR to clinically important antimicrobials such as fluoroquinolones and 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins. Our results call for strengthening antimicrobial stewardship among companion animal veterinarians in the UAE to reduce the potential transmission of ESBL-R E. coli between pets, humans, and urban environments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani13101587","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,10]],"date-time":"2023-05-10T01:40:02Z","timestamp":1683682802000},"page":"1587","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Domestic Pets in the United Arab Emirates as Reservoirs for Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: A Comprehensive Analysis of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase Producing Escherichia coli Prevalence and Risk Factors"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0938-0607","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ihab","family":"Habib","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Public Health Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab of Emirates University, Abu Dhabi 15551, United Arab Emirates"},{"name":"Department of Environmental Health, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria 5424041, Egypt"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7837-7711","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Khaja","family":"Mohteshamuddin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Public Health Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab of Emirates University, Abu Dhabi 15551, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohamed-Yousif Ibrahim","family":"Mohamed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Public Health Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab of Emirates University, Abu Dhabi 15551, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6758-6040","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Glindya Bhagya","family":"Lakshmi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Public Health Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab of Emirates University, Abu Dhabi 15551, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8506-6364","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Afra","family":"Abdalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Public Health Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab of Emirates University, Abu Dhabi 15551, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulla","family":"Bakhit Ali Alkaabi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Veterinary Public Health Research Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, United Arab of Emirates University, Abu Dhabi 15551, United Arab Emirates"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"743","article-title":"Antimicrobial resistance: One Health approach","volume":"15","year":"2022","journal-title":"Vet. 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