Abstract
Sea turtles can be considered a sentinel species for monitoring the health of marine ecosystems, acting, at the same time, as a carrier of microorganisms. Indeed, sea turtles can acquire the microbiota from their reproductive sites and feeding, contributing to the diffusion of antibiotic-resistant strains to uncontaminated environments. This study aims to unveil the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in (i) loggerhead sea turtles stranded along the coast of Sicily (Mediterranean Sea), (ii) unhatched and/or hatched eggs, (iii) sand from the turtles’ nest and (iv) seawater. Forty-four bacterial strains were isolated and identified by conventional biochemical tests and 16S rDNA sequencing. The Gram-negative Aeromonas and Vibrio species were mainly found in sea turtles and seawater samples, respectively. Conversely, the Gram-positive Bacillus, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus strains were mostly isolated from eggs and sand. The antimicrobial resistance profile of the isolates revealed that these strains were resistant to cefazolin (95.5%), streptomycin (43.2%), colistin and amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (34.1%). Moreover, metagenome analysis unveiled the presence of both antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes, as well as the mobile element class 1 integron at an alarming percentage rate. Our results suggest that Caretta caretta could be considered a carrier of antibiotic-resistant genes.
Highlights
The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the main cause of infectious disease treatment failure worldwide, gaining global attention from both an environmental and human health perspective [1]
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the antibiotic resistance profile of bacteria isolated from loggerhead sea turtles stranded along the coast of Sicily, hatched and/or not hatched egg, sand and seawater, by combining microbiological assay and molecular analysis for detection of antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes
We report the isolation and resistance profile of bacteria from loggerhead sea turtles, seawater, sea turtle eggs and sand from the same nest collected along the coast of the Mediterranean
Summary
The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the main cause of infectious disease treatment failure worldwide, gaining global attention from both an environmental and human health perspective [1]. Class 1 integron is a potentially mobile genetic element, commonly found in Gram-negative bacteria, responsible for the conjugative-mediated gene transfer [9]. In both marine and terrestrial environments, wildlife can come into direct contact with most antibiotics, even at sub-inhibitory concentrations [10], leading to the selection of antibiotic-resistant microbiota. In this context, wildlife represents a potential reservoir, or vector, of resistant pathogens and ARGs [1,11,12]; in the study of the spread of the AMR, it may be useful to evaluate the role of migratory wildlife species, which can carry a resistant microbiota
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