title: Experimental colonization of the canine urinary tract with the asymptomatic bacteriuria Escherichia coli strain 83972.
abstract: Establishment of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) with Escherichia coli 83972 is a viable prophylactic alternative to antibiotic therapy for the prevention of recurrent bacterial urinary tract infection in humans. Approximately 2 × 10(8) viable E. coli 83972 cells were introduced into the bladder of six healthy female dogs via a sterile urinary catheter. The presence of pyuria, depression, stranguria, pollakiuria and haematuria was documented for 6 weeks and urinalysis and aerobic bacterial cultures were performed every 24-72 h. Pyuria was present in all dogs on day 1 post-inoculation and 4/6 dogs (67%) had a positive urine culture on this day. Duration of colonization ranged from 0 to 10 days (median 4 days). Four dogs were re-inoculated on day 20. Duration of colonization following the second inoculation ranged from 1 to 3 days. No dog suffered pyrexia or appeared systemically unwell but all dogs initially exhibited mild pollakiuria and a small number displayed gross haematuria and/or stranguria. By day 3 of each trial all clinical signs had resolved. Persistent bacteriuria was not achieved in any dog but two dogs were colonized for 10 days following a single inoculation. Further research is required to determine whether establishment of ABU in dogs with recurrent urinary tract infection is a viable alternative to repeated doses of antimicrobial agents.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia. m.thompson3@uq.edu.au
authors.forename: Mary F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Makrina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Totsika
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Schembri
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.forename: Erica J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Seton
authors.forename: Darren J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Trott
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D058491:Bacterial Load; D001437:Bacteriuria / Q000382:microbiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000382:microbiology; D014551:Urinary Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*