Vet World   Vol.18   October-2025  Article - 20 

Detection and characterization of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. isolates in Colombian guinea pigs intended for human consumption

Background and Aim: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as a global health threat, with food-producing animals recognized as reservoirs of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria. Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), traditionally consumed in several Andean regions, remain underexplored in terms of food safety risks. This study aimed to detect, characterize, and analyze the AMR patterns and resistance genes of Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. isolated from slaughtered guinea pigs intended for human consumption in Colombia.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 70 guinea pigs with macroscopic intestinal lesions. Intestinal swabs were cultured on blood and MacConkey agar, and isolates were identified using biochemical tests and 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed against nine antibiotics representing seven antimicrobial classes, using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute standards. MDR was defined as resistance to ≥1 antibiotic in ≥3 classes. Polymerase chain reaction assays were employed to detect resistance genes, including β-lact­amase Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (blaKPC), class d β-lactamase oxacillinase-48 gene (blaOXA-48), ampC-lactamase (ampC), and New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (blaNDM-1).

Results: Ten isolates were obtained, comprising Klebsiella spp. (70%) and Enterobacter hormaechei (30%). All isolates (100%) exhibited MDR profiles. High resistance rates were observed against fluoroquinolones (100%), beta-lactams (90%), aminoglycosides (70%), carbapenems (70%), and cephalosporins (70%), whereas resistance to trimethoprim–sulfamethox­azole was 40%. Molecular analysis revealed the presence of blaKPC in seven isolates, blaOXA-48 in two, and ampC in three. No blaNDM-1 genes were detected. Notably, E. hormaechei isolates demonstrated broader resistance spectra than Klebsiella.

Conclusion: This study provides the first evidence in Colombia of MDR Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. isolates carry­ing clinically important resistance genes in guinea pigs intended for human consumption. The detection of carbapenemase genes (blaKPC and blaOXA-48) is particularly concerning given their role in limiting therapeutic options. These findings highlight the urgent need for improved antimicrobial stewardship, stricter regulation of antibiotic use in guinea pig production sys­tems, enhanced surveillance, and targeted farmer education to mitigate AMR risks at the human–animal interface.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, Cavia porcellus, Enterobacter, guinea pig, Klebsiella, multidrug resistance, resistance genes.

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How to cite this article: Paz-Calvache TG, Merchancano SJ, Nakazato L, and Dutra V (2025) Detection and characterization of multidrug-resistant Klebsiella spp. and Enterobacter spp. isolates in Colombian guinea pigs intended for human consumption, Veterinary World, 18(10): 3187-3196.

Received: 08-05-2025   Accepted: 29-09-2025   Published online: 31-10-2025

Corresponding author: Tatiana Gabriela Paz-Calvache    E-mail: tpazc@unal.edu.co

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.3187-3196

Copyright: Paz-Calvache, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.