scholarly journals Antimicrobial Resistance in Loggerhead Sea Turtles (Caretta caretta): A Comparison between Clinical and Commensal Bacterial Isolates

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2435
Author(s):  
Adriana Trotta ◽  
Mariarosaria Marinaro ◽  
Alessio Sposato ◽  
Michela Galgano ◽  
Stefano Ciccarelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Caretta Caretta ◽  
Clinical Isolates ◽  
Bacterial Isolates ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Loggerhead Sea Turtles ◽  
Reservoir Species ◽  
History Of ◽  
Amoxicillin Clavulanic Acid ◽  
Gram Negative Organisms

Gram negative organisms are frequently isolated from Caretta caretta turtles, which can act as reservoir species for resistant microorganisms in the aquatic environment. C. caretta, which have no history of treatment with antimicrobials, are useful sentinel species for resistant microbes. In this culture-based study, commensal bacteria isolated from oral and cloacal samples of 98 healthy C. caretta were compared to clinical isolates from the wounds of 102 injured animals, in order to investigate the presence of AMR bacteria in free-living loggerheads from the Adriatic Sea. A total of 410 isolates were cultured. Escherichia coli and genera such as Serratia, Moraxella, Kluyvera, Salmonella were isolated only in healthy animals, while Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Morganella were isolated only from the wounds of the injured animals. When tested for susceptibility to ampicillin, amoxicillin + clavulanic acid, ceftazidime, cefuroxime, gentamicin, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin, the clinical isolates showed highly significant differences in AMR rates vs. commensal isolates for all the drugs tested, except for doxycycline. The detection of high AMR rates in loggerheads is of clinical and microbiological significance since it impacts both the choice of a proper antibiotic therapy and the implementation of conservation programs.

Accumulation of organochlorine contaminants in loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, from the eastern Adriatic Sea

Chemosphere ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bojan Lazar ◽  
Luna Maslov ◽  
Snježana Herceg Romanić ◽  
Romana Gračan ◽  
Blanka Krauthacker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Caretta Caretta ◽  
Loggerhead Sea Turtles ◽  
Organochlorine Contaminants

Catenula exigua sp. nov., a new marine diatom (Bacillariophyta) species from the Adriatic Sea

Phytotaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 414 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
KÄTHE ROBERT ◽  
SUNCICA BOSAK ◽  
BART VAN DE VIJVER
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Caretta Caretta ◽  
Small Population ◽  
Marine Diatom ◽  
High Magnification ◽  
Loggerhead Sea Turtles ◽  
Diatom Flora ◽  
Very High ◽  
Scanning Electron

During a survey of the epizoic diatom flora on carapaces of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Adriatic Sea, a relatively small population of an unknown amphoroid species was observed, presenting some morphological similarities with the genera Lunella and Catenula. Due to the small size and the lack of distinct structures visible in LM, the observations of its ultrastructure under very high magnification in the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) proved to be critical in taxon delineation and indicated that it should be separated as a new Catenula species. The new species is characterized by very small, dorsiventral valves, striae composed of 1–3 small, marginally placed areolae, a very simple raphe structure lacking terminal raphe fissures, straight simple central raphe endings, the absence of helictoglossa and a distinct central nodule, the latter often discernible in LM. Typical ghost striae, reported to be one of the main morphological features of the genus Catenula, are very faintly present and only visible in the valve interior. The new species is illustrated using both LM and SEM observations and compared with all other known Catenula and Lunella species.

scholarly journals Helminth Infection of the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta caretta along the Coasts of Sicily and the North West Adriatic Sea

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1408
Author(s):  
Antonino Gentile ◽  
Tullia Amato ◽  
Andrea Gustinelli ◽  
Maria Letizia Fioravanti ◽  
Delia Gambino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Caretta Caretta ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Loggerhead Sea Turtles ◽  
Loggerhead Sea Turtle ◽  
North West ◽  
The North

We provide new data on the presence of helminth parasites in 64 individual loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta stranded along the coasts of Sicily and the northwest Adriatic Sea between June 2014 and August 2016. The necropsy examination revealed 31 individuals (48.4%) positive for endoparasites, showing a greater prevalence of trematodes than nematodes. In particular, seven species and a single genus of Trematoda (Hapalotrema) and a single species and genus of Nematoda (Kathlania) were identified. Among the Digenea flukes the species with the highest prevalence of infection were Rhytidodes gelatinosus (34.6%) and Hapalotrema sp. (33.3%), while among the Nematoda they were Kathlania sp. (33.3%) and Sulcascaris sulcata (33.3%). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied among the recovery sites of the stranded loggerhead sea turtles and prevalence of endoparasites was used to highlight any relationship between the parasites and the origin of the hosts. ANOVA showed significant differences (p < 0.001) among the data used.

Planothidium kaetherobertianum, a new marine diatom (Bacillariophyta) species from the Adriatic Sea

Phytotaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 425 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
BART VAN DE VIJVER ◽  
SUNČICA BOSAK
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
New Species ◽  
Morphological Analysis ◽  
Adriatic Sea ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Caretta Caretta ◽  
Marine Diatom ◽  
Loggerhead Sea Turtles ◽  
Diatom Flora ◽  
Scanning Electron

During a survey of the epizoic diatom flora on carapaces of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Adriatic Sea, a fairly large population of an unknown marine Planothidium species was observed. Detailed morphological analysis based on scanning electron microscopy observations and comparison with a large number of known Planothidium species, resulted in the description of the new species as Planothidium kaetherobertianum sp. nov. The new species is characterized by a rapheless valve showing a rather broad axial area with irregular, shallow depressions, striae composed of only 1–2 rows of very small areolae. The raphevalve has biseriate striae with a short third row of areolae inserted between the two rows of areolae near the valve margins. The species shows some resemblance with the group of species around Planothidium delicatulum. The new species is illustrated using both LM and SEM observations and compared with other resembling marine and brackish Planothidium species.

scholarly journals Gastrointestinal investigation of parasites and Enterobacteriaceae in loggerhead sea turtles from Italian coasts

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonino Pace ◽  
Laura Rinaldi ◽  
Davide Ianniello ◽  
Luca Borrelli ◽  
Giuseppe Cringoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
Sea Turtles ◽  
Caretta Caretta ◽  
Sea Turtle ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Loggerhead Sea Turtles ◽  
Pathogenic Potential ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Faecal Samples

Abstract Background Caretta caretta is the most abundant sea turtle species in the Mediterranean, and studies on this species have vastly expanded during recent years, including those investigating gut bacterial and parasitic communities. Members of these communities have been reported with variable prevalence and pathogenicity, mainly depending on their host and environment (e.g. lifespan, distribution, habitat, diet, health status and stressors). Indeed, many species commonly inhabiting the sea turtle gastrointestinal tract exhibit an opportunistic behaviour. This study aimed to provide baseline data on enterobacterial and parasitic composition, through bacteriological culture-based methods and the FLOTAC parasitological technique, in cloacal and faecal samples of 30 live Caretta caretta, examined upon their arrival at the Marine Turtle Research Centre (Portici, Italy). Results Enterobacteriaceae were isolated in 18/23 cloacal samples (78.3%), with Citrobacter and Morganella as the most common genera, followed by Proteus, Enterobacter, Providencia, and Hafnia. Parasitic elements were detected in 11/30 faecal samples (36.7%), with Enodiotrema, Rhytidodes, and Eimeria as most common genera, followed by Pachypsolus and Cymatocarpus. Additionally, Angiodyctium is reported for the first time in this host. The majority (47.8%) of sea turtles hosted exclusively Enterobacteriaceae, whereas 30.4% hosted both parasites and Enterobacteriaceae; the remaining 21.8% hosted neither of the agents. Conclusions Bacteria and parasites evaluated in the present study are common in Mediterranean loggerhead sea turtles, with slight differences between the western and eastern basin. Although naturally present in the gastrointestinal system of free-living sea turtles, their relationship with these hosts might range from mutualism to parasitism. Indeed, members of the gut community might express their pathogenic potential in immune-compromised animals, such as those in rehabilitation facilities. Therefore, it is advisable to include in the standard work-up of rescued sea turtles a screening procedure for such opportunistic agents, in order to better evaluate the animal’s health status and achieve timely intervention with appropriate treatment, thus improving rehabilitation. Furthermore, data collected from free-living sea turtles represent a starting point for investigating wild populations. However, further studies are needed to clarify the differences between sea turtle’s normal gut microbiome and pathobiome.

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