Browsing by Author "Fernandes, Matilde Costa"
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- Antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles of gram-negative bacteria isolated from loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) of the Island of Maio, Cape VerdePublication . Fernandes, Matilde Costa; Oliveira, Maria Manuela Castilho Monteiro de; Sandi, JanetLoggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) have been suggested as carriers of potential zoonotic pathogens and prime reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant and virulent bacteria. In the present study, the isolation of Gram-negative bacteria of the Cape Verdean loggerhead subpopulation, currently believed to be the largest subpopulation of this species worldwide, is described for the first time. This study aimed to characterize the aerobic and facultative anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria of the loggerhead colony of the Island of Maio, to evaluate their pathogenic potential and to unveil both the impact on sea turtles’ conservation and the underlying public health risks resulting from interactions with these animals and the consumption of turtle-derived products. Cloacal, oral and egg content swab samples from 33 nesting loggerheads (n = 99) were analysed regarding the presence of Gram-negative bacteria and the respective antibiotic resistance and virulence profiles. Conventional bacteriological techniques were applied. Shewanella putrefaciens (26.32%), Vibrio alginolyticus (21.05%) and Morganella morganii (21.05%) were the most prevalent species. A low prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria (15.79%) was detected, and no multidrug-resistant isolates were identified. The identified bacterial species revealed the ability to produce numerous virulence factors, including hemolysins (100.0%), DNases (89.47%), lipases (78.95%), biofilms (73.68%), proteases (52.63%), lecithinases (21.05%), and gelatinases (15.79%). These findings suggest that due to the low anthropogenic impact observed in both their nesting (the Island of Maio) and foraging sites, this loggerhead subpopulation may be less exposed to antimicrobial compounds. Furthermore, Gram-negative bacteria isolated from these turtles may be less susceptible to acquiring resistance genes from environmental bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. Nevertheless, the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria expressing virulence factors may threat both sea turtles’ and human’s health.