Abstract
The aerobic oral and cloacal bacterial microbiota and their antimicrobial resistance were characterized for 64 apparently healthy sea turtles captured at their foraging grounds in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (OLL), Baja California Sur (BCS), Mexico (Pacific Ocean) and the lagoon system of Navachiste (LSN) and Marine Area of Influence (MAI), Guasave, Sinaloa (Gulf of California). A total of 34 black turtles (Chelonia mydas agassizii) were sampled in OLL and eight black turtles and 22 olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) were sampled in LSN and MAI, respectively from January to December 2012. We isolated 13 different species of Gram-negative bacteria. The most frequently isolated bacteria were Vibrio alginolyticus in 39/64 (60%), V. parahaemolyticus in 17/64 (26%), and V. cholerae in 6/64 (9%). However, V. cholerae was isolated only from turtles captured from the Gulf of California (MAI). Among V. parahaemolyticus strains, six O serogroups and eight serovars were identified from which 5/17 (29.4%) belonged to the pathogenic strains (tdh+ gene) and 2/17 (11.7%) had the pandemic clone (tdh+ and toxRS/new+). Among V. cholerae strains, all were identified as non-O1/non-O139, and in 4/6 (66%) the accessory cholera enterotoxin gene (ace) was identified but without virulence gene zot, ctxA, and ctxB. Of the isolated V. parahaemolyticus, V. cholerae, and V. alginolyticus strains, 94.1, 33.4, and 100% demonstrated resistance to at least one commonly prescribed antibiotic (primarily to ampicillin), respectively. In conclusion, the presence of several potential (toxigenic) human pathogens in sea turtles may represent transmission of environmental microbes and a high-risk of food-borne disease. Therefore, based on the fact that it is illegal and unhealthy, we discourage the consumption of sea turtle meat or eggs in northwestern Mexico.
Highlights
Sea turtles are air-breathing, marine reptiles of the order Testudines
Identification of Bacterial Isolates From January to December 2012, 34 black turtles (C. mydas agassizii) were sampled in Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (OLL), and eight black and 22 olive ridley (L. olivacea) turtles were captured in lagoon system of Navachiste (LSN) and Marine Area of Influence (MAI), respectively (Figure 1)
Nine different microorganisms were isolated from olive ridley turtles including Citrobacter freundii, E. coli, Edwarsiella spp., V. alginolyticus, V. cholerae, V. fluvialis, V. furnisii, V. parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio spp
Summary
Sea turtles are air-breathing, marine reptiles of the order Testudines. The advances in their medical management, the studies on causes of morbidity and mortality during stranding events, and the efforts to conserve them, have increased in recent years. Despite these efforts, six of the seven species of sea turtles are classified as threatened or endangered by IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2014). As with other marine vertebrate species, sea turtles are threatened by increasing anthropogenic activities including fisheries bycatch; illegal traffic of meat, eggs, and their parts; coastal development; various forms of plastic; global environmental change; and, environmental pollution (Aguirre and Lutz, 2004)
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