ENTEROBACTERIAL COLONIZATION IN CAPTIVE RED-EARED SLIDERS (TRACHEMYS SCRIPTA ELEGANS)

Abstract

The handling of turtles and other reptiles can be associated with risk of pathogenic enterobacteria transmission, mainly Salmonella spp. The aim of this study was to identify the enterobacteria in cloacal swabs of 39 red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). Cloacal swabs from 39 captive individuals were analyzed. After sample enrichment in brain-heart infusion broth and 1% peptone water, bacterial isolation was performed through cultivation in blood, MacConkey and xylose lysine desoxycholate agar. Bacterial identification was achieved through conventional tests and automated turbidity analysis. The results indicated the growth of Kluyvera ascorbata (38/39), Leclercia adecarboxylata (37/39), Raoultella planticola (30/39), Citrobacter freundii (20/39), Proteus spp. (15/39), and Escherichia coli (5/39). Salmonella spp. were not detected. The intestinal enterobacteria identified inthis study differed from that reported in the literature for other reptiles.

Early-life intestinal microbiome in Trachemys scripta elegans analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing

“…Several of these advantages might be associated with the gut microbiome, that can influence food digestion and nutrient absorption, but little is known about the adaptive capacity of the intestinal microbiome of red-eared sliders. The existing studies on this species are limited to culture-dependent phenotypic and biochemical characterization of the gut microorganisms, and are not sufficient for systematically understanding the gut microecosystem of red-eared sliders (Gioia-Di Chiacchio et al, 2014;Gaertner et al, 2008).…”

A Captive Study of Interactions between the Invasive Red-eared Slider, Trachemys scripta elegans (Wied 1838), and Native Indian Turtles

“…Another threat posed by Red-eared Sliders is the transmission of diseases and pathogens to native turtle populations (Shen et al 2011;Meyer et al 2015;Heritier et al 2017;Demkowska-Kutrzepa et al 2018). Included among those pathogens is Salmonella, which can infect humans (Mermin et al 2004;Shen et al 2011;Di Chiacchio et al 2014) and captive animals (Gopee et al 2000).…”

Presencia de Salmonella spp. en tortugas de río en cautiverio y en libertad en Urabá, Colombia

“…Las mascotas, incluyendo reptiles bajo condiciones de cautiverio, han mostrado ser una fuente de infección de Salmonella spp. para los humanos 6,14,16 y su prevalencia ha sido estudiada en diferentes países 14,17,21 , mientras que la presencia de Salmonella spp. en tortugas silvestres en libertad ha sido poco estudiada 11,18,19 .…”

“…como resultado del contacto con reptiles en Estados Unidos 15 , considerando los niños como la población en mayor riesgo. Las tortugas excretan la bacteria de manera intermitente en sus heces 5,8,16,17 . También se puede encontrar en la superficie corporal de estos animales y en el agua en las que estas habitan 1, 3 , 5 .…”