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Antimicrobials are extensively used in livestock to treat common diseases, including mastitis and other bacterial infections, with around 80% of food-producing animals receiving such treatments. Despite a ban in the EU since 2006, antibiotics are still used globally for growth promotion, exacerbating antimicrobial resistance (AMR). From the consumers' point of view, the potential exposure to resistant zoonotic bacteria in animal-derived food products may represent a threat to public health. However, consumers' knowledge and attitude vary across socio-demographic characteristics and geographical location. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of milk consumers regarding AMR in Pakistan (as a representative of low-to-middle income countries (LMICs)), compared to Italy (as a representative of high-income countries (HICs)).Data were collected via surveys from 401 Pakistani and 550 Italian milk consumers, focusing on socio-demographics, milk purchasing habits, and awareness of antibiotic residues and AMR. The study identified three principal components (PCs) influencing milk consumption: milk quality attributes and tradition, family-dependence, and eating style-dependence. A cluster analysis categorized consumers into four groups: "Attentive to milk quality attributes," "Loyal to milk," "Undecided consumer," and "Milk is essential in my food pattern."Italian consumers predominantly belonged to the "Attentive to milk quality attributes" group, valuing safety and health benefits, and were the most informed about AMR. Pakistani consumers, primarily belonging to the "Loyal to milk" group, exhibited high purchasing frequency influenced by family size but showed limited awareness about AMR risks. The "Undecided consumer" group, a mix of Italian and Pakistani individuals, lacked strong preferences and displayed moderate awareness of AMR, influenced by habitual consumption patterns.This research underscores the need for targeted educational campaigns to raise awareness about AMR and antibiotic residues in milk, particularly in LMICs. Survey findings can help to identify targeted action plans and boost policy development on AMR. Enhancing consumer knowledge through the One-Health approach could mitigate AMR risks and promote informed decision-making in milk consumption across different socio-economic contexts., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The questionnaires were approved by the Bioethical Committee of the University of Turin, Italy (approval protocol n. 0169932, 14/03/2022). An informed consent was sought and obtained from each respondent prior to the participation in the survey. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The incidence of cefotaximase (CTX-M)-type extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli has increased dramatically in humans and animals since the middle of the last century. E coli that produce CTX-M β-lactamase represent a major cause of urinary tract infections, and pose a significant therapeutic challenge to both human and veterinary medicine. As data on uropathogenic CTX-M-producing strains in cats are limited, the aim of this study was to describe the genetic character and antibiotic resistance phenotypes of CTX-M-producing E coli isolated from cats with cystitis. Seven of 15 E coli bacteria isolated from 138 urine samples had the CTX-M gene and were therefore included in this study. These isolates were screened by polymerase chain reaction for the presence of 14 extra-intestinal virulence factors, class 1 and class 2 integrons, and to identify their phylogenetic groups. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of the strains and susceptibility testing (disc diffusion method) were also performed. Virulence factor iutA was the most frequent determinant identified (86.7%), and the majority of CTX-M-producing strains (n = 5) carried class 1 integrons. MLST allowed us to discriminate four known sequence types (ST131, ST555, ST602, ST155) and three novel sequence types (ST3847, ST3848, ST4181). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report uropathogenic CTX-M-producing E coli ST131 in cats in Italy. Accurate diagnostics and prudent use of antimicrobials are recommended to avoid the spread of multidrug-resistant pathogens in veterinary medicine and to prevent their transmission to humans., (© ISFM and AAFP 2014.)