Abstract
Humans and companion dogs have directly been in close contacts which may pose an important
risk of transmitting pathogens and infections. The domestic animals may contribute to antimicrobial
resistance problem because antimicrobial resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistant genes were increasingly
found in pets. Thus, the aim of this study was to survey fecal carriage of antimicrobial resistant
bacteria in dogs resided in the central region of Thailand. The rectal swabs were taken from 100 apparently
healthy dogs (50 stray dogs and 50 household dogs) for bacterial cultures and antibiotic susceptibility
testing. The results revealed that an overall prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-
producing Enterobacteriaceae in dogs was 35%. ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in fecal carriage
in the stray dog samples (62%) was significantly more than the household dog samples (8%), (p<0.001).
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was also isolated from a household dog. Escherichia coli
isolated from the household dogs tended to be more resistant to some antibiotics than those from the
stray dogs. These observations imply that the dogs resided in the central region of Thailand are also the
reservoir of antimicrobial resistant bacteria.
