Selected Infectious Diseases of Reptiles

Chinnadurai, Sathya K.; DeVoe, Ryan S.

doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2009.06.008

Cited by 26 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Shigella spp. are important causes of illness in humans, but are rarely associated with clinical signs in reptiles (Chinnadurai & De Voe, 2009; Wellehan & Divers, 2019). Ornate box turtles may have superior plasma antibacterial activity against these organisms due to higher levels of natural exposure compared to eastern box turtles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma antibacterial activities in ornate (Terrapene ornata) and eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina)

et al. 2020

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Chelonians are one of the most imperiled vertebrate taxa and many species are increasingly threatened by disease, however, the immune response in this group is understudied. We quantified the innate immune response of eastern (Terrapene carolina; EBT) and ornate (Terrapene ornate; OBT) box turtles using plasma antibacterial activity assays. Plasma from both species abolished or significantly reduced the growth of all eight bacterial species evaluated, including Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Citrobacter freundi, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus aureus. Bactericidal capacity was greater in OBT compared to EBT, and OBT plasma retained high antibacterial activities at a broader temperature range (20-40°C) compared to EBT (30-40°C). Plasma antibacterial activity was abolished following treatment with heat, protease, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, indicating that complement is likely responsible for the observed effects. Further characterization of the box turtle immune response may provide insight into the importance of infectious diseases for species conservation, enabling the development of more efficient and effective population management strategies. K E Y W O R D S box turtle, chelonian, innate immunity, reptile, Terrapene

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plasma antibacterial activities in ornate (Terrapene ornata) and eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina)

et al. 2020

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“…Therefore, hand washing should be recommended after contact with crocodile lizards, especially for those who contact these animals frequently. Although these genera have been detected as normal flora in many reptiles, there are many reports that associate these bacteria with reptile diseases such as bacterial pneumonia, osteomyelitis, septicemia, and hepatitis ( Huchzermeyer, 1991 ; Ramsay et al, 2002 ; Grupka et al, 2006 ; Chinnadurai and Devoe, 2009 ). The high content of potential pathogenic bacteria in loach-fed group suggests that the diet of loach not only altered the structure of gut microbiota but also increased the risk of infection for crocodile lizards.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diets Alter the Gut Microbiome of Crocodile Lizards

Jiang

Ma²,

et al. 2017

Front. Microbiol.

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The crocodile lizard is a critically endangered reptile, and serious diseases have been found in this species in recent years, especially in captive lizards. Whether these diseases are caused by changes in the gut microbiota and the effect of captivity on disease remains to be determined. Here, we examined the relationship between the gut microbiota and diet and disease by comparing the fecal microbiota of wild lizards with those of sick and healthy lizards in captivity. The gut microbiota in wild crocodile lizards was consistently dominated by Proteobacteria (∼56.4%) and Bacteroidetes (∼19.1%). However, the abundance of Firmicutes (∼2.6%) in the intestine of the wild crocodile lizards was distinctly lower than that in other vertebrates. In addition, the wild samples from Guangdong Luokeng Shinisaurus crocodilurus National Nature Reserve also had a high abundance of Deinococcus–Thermus while the wild samples from Guangxi Daguishan Crocodile Lizard National Nature Reserve had a high abundance of Tenericutes. The gut microbial community in loach-fed crocodile lizards was significantly different from the gut microbial community in the earthworm-fed and wild lizards. In addition, significant differences in specific bacteria were detected among groups. Notably, in the gut microbiota, the captive lizards fed earthworms resulted in enrichment of Fusobacterium, and the captive lizards fed loaches had higher abundances of Elizabethkingia, Halomonas, Morganella, and Salmonella, all of which are pathogens or opportunistic pathogens in human or other animals. However, there is no sufficient evidence that the gut microbiota contributes to either disease A or disease B. These results provide a reference for the conservation of endangered crocodile lizards and the first insight into the relationship between disease and the gut microbiota in lizards.

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“…P. aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that is part of the normal gut microbiota of many vertebrates, including snakes. In the presence of debilitating factors for ophidians, this bacterium can express its pathogenicity, resulting in secondary infections involving a wide range of tissues (Schumacher, 2006; Chinnadurai & DeVoe, 2009). P. aeruginosa ’s ability to easily develop antibiotic resistance (Breidenstein, de la Fuente-Núñez & Hancock, 2011), coupled with its extensive spread within terrariums, similar to what occurs for parasites (Ippen & Zwart, 1996; Raś-Noryńska & Sokół, R, 2015), makes P. aeruginosa a risk factor for ophidians and people who handle these animals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The prevalence ofPseudomonas aeruginosaand multidrug resistantPseudomonas aeruginosain healthy captive ophidian

Sala

Ianni

Pelizzone

et al. 2019

PeerJ

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Background Snakes are globally considered as pet animals, and millions of ophidians are bred in captivity. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacterium that can act as an opportunistic pathogen of man and animals and is frequently present in the oral and cloacal microbiota of healthy ophidians. It can cause severe clinical diseases and often shows antibiotic resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and antibiotic resistance profiles of P. aeruginosa isolated from the cloacal microbiota of a large population sample of healthy captive ophidians and to evaluate the statistical associations with farming conditions. Methods A total of 419 cloacal swabs were collected from snakes belonging to the Boidae (n = 45), Colubridae (n = 48) and Pythonidae (n = 326) families and inoculated onto complete culture media. Food, water and bedding samples were also analyzed. The antimicrobial susceptibility of P. aeruginosa isolates was evaluated through the Kirby-Bauer agar diffusion test. Statistical analyses were performed with the chi-square test. Results The prevalence of P. aeruginosa was 59.9%, and 35.5% of these strains were multidrug resistant (MDR). The prevalence of MDR P. aeruginosa was significantly higher in adult samples than in young samples, and widespread resistance to Cephalosporins, Polymyxins and Sulfonamides was observed. Statistically significant differences in the prevalence of P. aeruginosa were observed depending on the farm size and snake family. Feeding thawed prey was associated with a higher P. aeruginosa and MDR P. aeruginosa prevalence. Moreover, snakes fed home-raised prey had a significantly higher MDR P. aeruginosa prevalence than snakes fed commercially available feed. Less frequent terrarium cleaning was associated with a higher MDR P. aeruginosa prevalence. On the other hand, snake reproductive status was not significantly associated with P. aeruginosa or MDR P. aeruginosa prevalence. All food, water and bedding samples were negative for P. aeruginosa presence. Discussion The overall P. aeruginosa prevalence found in this study was lower than that found by other authors, but a high proportion of the isolates were MDR. This study highlighted the presence of constitutive (such as age and taxonomic family) and managerial (farm size, cleaning cycle frequency and food type) factors associated with P. aeruginosa and/or MDR P. aeruginosa prevalence. Good breeding management and proper antibiotic treatment of P. aeruginosa infections could help reduce the presence of P. aeruginosa and MDR P. aeruginosa in the gut microbiota of snakes and consequently reduce the risk to public health.

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Selected Infectious Diseases of Reptiles

Cited by 26 publications

References 53 publications

Plasma antibacterial activities in ornate (Terrapene ornata) and eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina)

Plasma antibacterial activities in ornate (Terrapene ornata) and eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina)

Diets Alter the Gut Microbiome of Crocodile Lizards

The prevalence ofPseudomonas aeruginosaand multidrug resistantPseudomonas aeruginosain healthy captive ophidian

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