Characterization of Resistance and Virulence of Isolated from Pet Cats in South China

, one of the major zoonotic pathogens, may cause localized cellulitis, bacteremia, septic shock, and other symptoms in people. Accidental bites or scratches in close contact between humans and cats are one of the causes of infection in humans. The prevalence of diseases due to in humans may be rising as a result of the popularity of cat cafes in China. However, the epidemiology of in cat-themed cafes in South China is yet to be reported. in 92 healthy cats from four cafes with pet-cat themes was examined in their tonsils and oral cavities. The antibiotic susceptibility of each isolate was evaluated by using the disk-susceptibility testing method. The 19 were selected for whole-genome sequencing (WGS), together with the genome data of eight previously described clinical strains isolated from humans, and the analysis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants, capsular genotyping, MLST genotyping, and virulence gene profiles was carried out. The results showed that 48.91% of cats (45/90) were positive for . All isolated stains were highly resistant to (15 μg) (100%) and nonsensitive to (5 μg) (37.38%), while they were all susceptible to (10 untis), (30 μg), (30 μg), and (30 μg). According to WGS analysis, those with the gyrA resistance gene were all insensitive to fluoroquinolone antibiotics. Virulence gene profiles showed that the genes , , and were practically all present in cats compared to humans. To conclude, increased antibiotic resistance, along with virulence factors, complicates the treatment of infection. Thus, clinical treatment for infection should be performed more cautiously.