Whole-Genome Sequencing of Feline Uropathogens Isolated from Domestic Cats uncovers Resistance Mechanisms and Potential for Cross-species Transmission

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Feline Uropathogens Isolated from Domestic Cats uncovers Resistance Mechanisms and Potential for Cross-species Transmission | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Whole-Genome Sequencing of Feline Uropathogens Isolated from Domestic Cats uncovers Resistance Mechanisms and Potential for Cross-species Transmission Hajer Kilani, Zaineb Hamzaoui, Sana Ferjani, Sana Lengliz, Ghassan Tayh, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9003851/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Urinary tract infections (UTIs) in cats are increasingly recognized as clinically significant, often involving multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria with zoonotic potential. Despite the growing number of reports describing resistant bacteria in feline populations, genomic data on feline uropathogens remain scarce in Tunisia. This study aimed to characterize the resistome and sequence types of bacterial isolates recovered from cats with clinical signs of UTI using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Urine samples were collected from eleven diseased domestic cats, and six isolates were identified and sequenced using the Illumina iSeq100 platform. The analysis revealed multiple multi-drug resistant (MDR) species, including Mammaliicoccus lentus (formerly Staphylococcus lentus, n=2), Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans (n=1), Mammaliicoccus sciuri (formerly Staphylococcus sciuri, n=1), Enterococcus faecalis (n=1), Enterococcus casseliflavus (n=1), and Klebsiella aerogenes (n=1). Genomic profiling uncovered diverse antimicrobial resistance determinants, notably genes conferring acquired resistance to beta-lactams, methicillin, macrolides, tetracyclines, and colistin, underscoring their clinical and zoonotic relevance. This work represents the first WGS-based characterization of feline UTI pathogens in Tunisia and emphasizes the necessity of integrating companion animals into genomic surveillance programs under the One Health approach to monitor and mitigate antimicrobial resistance dissemination. Urinary tract infection Feline uropathogens Whole-genome sequencing Multidrug resistance One Health Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9003851","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":598893057,"identity":"f365744a-e842-453d-9226-dc8d02ea12eb","order_by":0,"name":"Hajer 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Despite the growing number of reports describing resistant bacteria in feline populations, genomic data on feline uropathogens remain scarce in Tunisia. This study aimed to characterize the resistome and sequence types of bacterial isolates recovered from cats with clinical signs of UTI using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Urine samples were collected from eleven diseased domestic cats, and six isolates were identified and sequenced using the Illumina iSeq100 platform. The analysis revealed multiple multi-drug resistant (MDR) species, including Mammaliicoccus lentus (formerly Staphylococcus lentus, n=2), Staphylococcus schleiferi subsp. coagulans (n=1), Mammaliicoccus sciuri (formerly Staphylococcus sciuri, n=1), Enterococcus faecalis (n=1), Enterococcus casseliflavus (n=1), and Klebsiella aerogenes (n=1). 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