Antibiotic Resistant Bacterial Isolates from Captive Green Turtles andIn VitroSensitivity to Bacteriophages

Abstract

This study aimed to test multidrug resistant isolates from hospitalised green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and their environment in North Queensland, Australia, for in vitro susceptibility to bacteriophages. Seventy-one Gram-negative bacteria were isolated from green turtle eye swabs and water samples. Broth microdilution tests were used to determine antibiotic susceptibility. All isolates were resistant to at least two antibiotics, with 24% being resistant to seven of the eight antibiotics. Highest resistance rates were detected to enrofloxacin (77%) and ampicillin (69.2%). More than 50% resistance was also found to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (62.5%), ceftiofur (53.8%), and erythromycin (53.3%). All the enriched phage filtrate mixtures resulted in the lysis of one or more of the multidrug resistant bacteria, including Vibrio harveyi and V. parahaemolyticus. These results indicate that antibiotic resistance is common in Gram-negative bacteria isolated from hospitalised sea turtles and their marine environment in North Queensland, supporting global concern over the rapid evolution of multidrug resistant genes in the environment. Using virulent bacteriophages as antibiotic alternatives would not only be beneficial to turtle health but also prevent further addition of multidrug resistant genes to coastal waters.

Expression of a Shiga-Like Toxin during Plastic Colonization by Two Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophila RIT668 and Citrobacter freundii RIT669, Isolated from Endangered Turtles (Clemmys guttata)

“…that were multidrug resistant, formed biofilms and were positive for slt-II and viaB [85]. In another study, all the turtles sampled had bacteria resistant to at least two antibiotics and 24% of the isolates were resistant to seven of the eight antibiotics tested [144]. Therefore, the predicted multidrug resistance characteristics of A. hydrophila RIT668 and C.…”

“…that were multidrug resistant, formed biofilms and were positive for slt-II and viaB [ 85 ]. In another study, all the turtles sampled had bacteria resistant to at least two antibiotics and 24% of the isolates were resistant to seven of the eight antibiotics tested [ 144 ]. Therefore, the predicted multidrug resistance characteristics of A. hydrophila RIT668 and C. freundii RIT669 are not surprising, and this fits into the growing number of studies which suggest that both A. hydrophila and C. freundii are emerging pathogens of concern.…”

Bacteriophage versus antibiotic therapy on gut bacterial communities of juvenile green turtle, Chelonia mydas

“…Currently, there is a substantial interest in the development of phage‐based antibacterials and to date, several studies have proven the efficacy of phage therapy in treating various pathogenic bacterial infections in both humans and animals (Merril et al ., ; Sulakvelidze and Kutter, ; Sarker et al ., ; Delli Paoli Carini et al ., ; Doss et al ., ). Here, we present the first proof of concept for the therapeutic use of phages in vivo to eliminate selective bacteria in captive juvenile green turtles.…”

Is Caretta Caretta a Carrier of Antibiotic Resistance in the Mediterranean Sea?

“…The abuse of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine-in the last century-showed to also impact diverse environmental niches, which are constantly described as a source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, possibly contributing to the spreading of the corresponding genes [24]. A few studies have investigated the presence of resistant bacteria in green turtles [14,15,[25][26][27][28][29], with the number of scientific reports being even lower on the role of loggerhead sea turtles correlated to emphasized emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms [13,17,18,23,25]. Our results confirm that Gram-negative bacteria are most frequently found in samples deriving from the marine environment, while Gram-positive bacteria are enlaced with an earthly environment [30].…”