Characterizing the antimicrobial resistance profile of found in sport animals (fighting cocks, fighting bulls, and sport horses) and soils from their environment.

Background And Aim: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant threat to global health and development. Inappropriate antimicrobial drug use in animals cause AMR, and most studies focus on livestock because of the widespread use of antimicrobial medicines. There is a lack of studies on sports animals and AMR issues. This study aimed to characterize the AMR profile of found in sports animals (fighting cocks, fighting bulls, and sport horses) and soils from their environment.

Materials And Methods: Bacterial isolation and identification were conducted to identify isolates recovered from fresh feces that were obtained from fighting cocks (n = 32), fighting bulls (n = 57), sport horses (n = 33), and soils from those farms (n = 32) at Nakhon Si Thammarat. Antimicrobial resistance was determined using 15 tested antimicrobial agents - ampicillin (AM), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, cephalexin (CN), cefalotin (CF), cefoperazone, ceftiofur, cefquinome, gentamicin, neomycin, flumequine (UB), enrofloxacin, marbofloaxacin, polymyxin B, tetracycline (TE), and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (SXT). The virulence genes, AMR genes, and phylogenetic groups were also examined. Five virulence genes, , , , , and , are genes determining the phylogenetic groups, , , and , were identified. The AMR genes selected for detection were TEM and SHV for the beta-lactamase group; for phenicol; for trimethoprim; and for sulfonamides; , and for TEs; and , and for quinolones.

Results: The derived from sports animals were resistant at different levels to AM, CF, CN, UB, SXT, and TE. The AMR rate was overall higher in fighting cocks than in other animals, with significantly higher resistance to AM, CF, and TE. The highest AMR was found in fighting cocks, where 62.5% of their isolates were AM resistant. In addition, multidrug resistance was highest in fighting cocks (12.5%). One extended-spectrum beta-lactamase isolate was found in the soils, but none from animal feces. The phylogenetic analysis showed that most isolates were in Group B1. The isolates from fighting cocks had more virulence and AMR genes than other sources. The AMR genes found in 20% or more of the isolates were TEM (71.9%), (25%), (46.9%), and (56.25%), whereas in the isolates collected from soils, the only resistance genes found in 20% or more of the isolates were TEM (30.8%), and (23.1%).

Conclusion: from fighting cock feces had significantly higher resistance to AM, CF, and TE than isolates from other sporting animals. Hence, fighting cocks may be a reservoir of resistant that can transfer to the environment and other animals and humans in direct contact with the birds or the birds' habitat. Programs for antimicrobial monitoring should also target sports animals and their environment.