Rodrigues, Inês C.Ribeiro-Almeida, MarisaCampos, JoanaSilveira, LeonorLeite-Martins, LilianaRibeiro, Jorgeda Costa, Paula MartinsPrata, Joana C.Pista, ÂngelaCosta, Paulo Martins da2026-01-212026-01-212025-08-20Microorganisms. 2025 Aug 20;13(8):1946. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms13081946http://hdl.handle.net/10400.18/10734This article belongs to the Special Issue Antimicrobial Resistance and the Use of Antibiotics in Animals.Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) pose a significant clinical challenge in both human and veterinary medicine, due to antibiotic-resistant and biofilm-forming bacteria. We hypothesized that high glucose levels in diabetic animals enhance biofilm formation and reduce antibiotic efficacy, promoting infection persistence. This study analyzed Escherichia coli from a diabetic female Labrador Retriever with recurrent UTIs over 18 months, focusing on antimicrobial resistance, biofilm-forming capacity, and genomic characterization. Most isolates (9/11) were resistant to ampicillin and fluoroquinolones. Whole genome sequencing of six selected isolates revealed that they belonged to the multidrug-resistant ST1193 lineage, a globally emerging clone associated with persistent infections. Phylogenetic analysis revealed clonal continuity across six UTI episodes, with two distinct clones identified: one during a coinfection in the second episode and another in the last episode. High-glucose conditions significantly enhanced biofilm production and dramatically reduced antibiotic susceptibility, as evidenced by a marked increase in minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBICs), which were at least 256-fold higher than the corresponding minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim demonstrated the strongest antibiofilm activity, though this was attenuated in glucose-supplemented environments. This research highlights the clinical relevance of glucosuria in diabetic patients and emphasizes the need for therapeutic strategies targeting biofilm-mediated antibiotic tolerance to improve the management of recurrent UTIs.engUTIUropathogenic Escherichia ColiAntibiotic PressureBiofilmResistência aos Antimicrobianosjournal article10.3390/microorganisms130819462076-260740871450