Abstract
BackgroundAntimicrobials are used to directly control bacterial infections in pet (ornamental) fish and are routinely added to the water these fish are shipped in to suppress the growth of potential pathogens during transport.Methodology/Principal FindingsTo assess the potential effects of this sustained selection pressure, 127 Aeromonas spp. isolated from warm and cold water ornamental fish species were screened for tolerance to 34 antimicrobials. Representative isolates were also examined for the presence of 54 resistance genes by a combination of miniaturized microarray and conventional PCR. Forty-seven of 94 Aeromonas spp. isolates recovered from tropical ornamental fish and their carriage water were tolerant to ≥15 antibiotics, representing seven or more different classes of antimicrobial. The quinolone and fluoroquinolone resistance gene, qnrS2, was detected at high frequency (37% tested recent isolates were positive by PCR). Class 1 integrons, IncA/C broad host range plasmids and a range of other antibiotic resistance genes, including floR, bla TEM−1, tet(A), tet(D), tet(E), qacE2, sul1, and a number of different dihydrofolate reductase and aminoglycoside transferase coding genes were also detected in carriage water samples and bacterial isolates.ConclusionsThese data suggest that ornamental fish and their carriage water act as a reservoir for both multi-resistant bacteria and resistance genes.
Highlights
The trade in ornamental fish is greater 1 billion animals per year globally [1]
These data suggest that ornamental fish and their carriage water act as a reservoir for both multi-resistant bacteria and resistance genes
This multi-drug tolerance (MDT) was broad ranging, with 64% of the isolates shown to be individually tolerant to antimicrobials from seven or more different structural classes of antimicrobial (Figure 1)
Summary
The trade in ornamental (pet) fish is greater 1 billion animals per year globally [1]. More than 45 million fish per year are imported into the United Kingdom (UK) alone from a wide range of countries, in particular those in South East Asia. Antimicrobials are used by owners and retailers to directly control bacterial infections [3]. They are routinely added to the water these fish are transported in to suppress the growth of potential pathogens during transport [4]. Antimicrobials are used to directly control bacterial infections in pet (ornamental) fish and are routinely added to the water these fish are shipped in to suppress the growth of potential pathogens during transport
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