First Microbiological and Molecular Identification of in Feces of Nondiarrheic Cats.

is responsible for infections in multiple-host animals. In humans, the prevalence of rhodococcus has increased worldwide and represents an emergent risk. is a soil-borne opportunistic bacterium isolated from feces of a wide variety of domestic species, except cats; thus, there is no known potential risk of its transmission from humans. Here, the mono- and cooccurrence of and other bacteria and selected virulence markers were investigated in feces of nondiarrheic cats from urban (n=100) and rural (n=100) areas. Seven (7/200=3.5%) isolates were recovered in ceftazidime, novobiocin, and cycloheximide (CAZ-NB) selective media, exclusively of cats from three distinct farms (=0.01), and these cats had a history of contact with horses and their environment (=0.0002). None of the isolates harbored hosted-adapted plasmid types associated with virulence (pVAPA, pVAPB, and pVAPN). One hundred seventy-five isolates were identified, and 23 atypical enteropathogenic (aEPEC), 1 STEC (Shiga-toxin producing ), and 1 EAEC (enteroaggregative ) were detected. Eighty-six type A isolates were identified, and beta-2 and enterotoxin were detected in 21 and 1 isolates, respectively. Five isolates were identified, one of which was toxigenic and ribotype 106. The main cooccurring isolates in cats from urban areas were and A (26/100=26%), and type A 2 (8/100=8%), and aEPEC (+/+) and type A (5/100=5%). In cats from farms, the main cooccurring isolates were and type A (21/100=21%), and type A 8/100=8%), and and (4/100=4%). We identified, for the first time, in nondiarrheic cats, a finding that represents a public health issue because rhodococcus has been reported in both immunosuppressed and immunocompetent humans, particularly people living with HIV/AIDS.