Pet Reptiles: A Potential Source of Transmission of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella

Abstract

Salmonella spp. is widely considered one of the most important zoonotic pathogens worldwide. The close contact between reptiles and their owners provides favourable conditions for the transmission of zoonotic pathogen infections, and ~6% of human salmonellosis cases are acquired after direct or indirect contact with reptiles. Moreover, antimicrobial resistance is one of the most important health threats of the twenty-first century and has been reported in Salmonella strains isolated from pet reptiles, which could entail therapeutic consequences for their owners and breeders. The aim of this study was to assess Salmonella carriage by pet reptiles in pet shops and households, and their role in the transmission of antimicrobial resistance, to inform the owners about the possible risks factors. During the period between January 2019 and December 2019, 54 reptiles from pet shops and 69 reptiles from households were sampled in the Valencian Region (Eastern Spain). Three different sample types were collected from each reptile: oral cavity, skin, and cloacal swabs. Salmonella identification was based on ISO 6579-1:2017 (Annex D), serotyped in accordance with Kauffman-White-Le-Minor technique, and antibiotic susceptibility was assessed according to Decision 2013/652. The results of this study showed that 48% of the pet reptiles examined from households and pet shops carry Salmonella spp. All the strains isolated presented resistance to at least one antibiotic, and 72% were multidrug-resistant strains, the most frequently observed resistance patterns being gentamicin-colistin and gentamicin-colistin-ampicillin. The present study demonstrates that pet reptiles could be a source of human multidrug-resistant Salmonella infection. In this context, the most optimal prevention of multidrug-resistant Salmonella infections necessarily involves strict control of the sanitary status of reptile pet shops and hygienic handling by the individual owners at home.

Zoonotic potential and prevalence of Salmonella serovars isolated from pets

“…were isolated from 24 of all samples (24/70; 34.3%) [67]. Furthermore, in Spanish Region (Valencia), Marin et al [68] assessed Salmonella spp. carriage by pet reptiles in pet shops (54 reptiles) and households (69 reptiles).…”

“…diarizonae (580/2281; 25.4%) [25]. This subspecies was also identified in 31.8% of reptiles housed in a zoo in Slovenia (24/74; 31.8%) [72], in 15.4% of reptiles housed in a zoo in Croatia (5/292; 15.4%) [65], in 13.3% of reptiles housed in a zoo in Poland (4/30; 13.3%) [46], in 36% of reptiles in three zoos in Norway (16/45; 36%) [31], in 7.6% of reptiles (6 species from a total of 76 free-living, captive and selected from private owner volunteers reptiles in Brazil [77], in 8% of geckos housed in private owners in Italy (6/70; 8%) [67], in 11.8% of reptiles housed in households and pet shops in Spain (41/349; 11.8%) [68] and in 81.8% of free-living snakes in Poland (13/16; 81.8%) [30]. S. enterica subsp.…”

“…arizonae (IIIa). This species was detected in 23.1% of reptiles kept in a zoo in Croatia (8/292; 23.1%) [65], in 4.5% of reptiles from a zoo in Slovenia (3/74;4.5%) [72], in 4% of reptiles housed in three zoos in Norway (2/45; 4%) [31], in 7.6% of reptiles (6 species from a total of 76 freeliving, captive and selected from private owner volunteers reptiles in Brazil [77] and in 11.8% of reptiles selected from households and pet shops in Spain (41/ 349; 11.8%) [68]. S. enterica subsp.…”

“…S. enterica subsp. houteneae (IV) was isolated in 23.1% of reptiles kept in a zoo in Croatia (8/292; 23.1%) [65], in 34, 6% of reptiles (26 from a total of 76 free-living, captive and selected from private owner volunteers reptiles in Brazil [77], in 8% of geckos housed in private owners in Italy (6/70; 8%) [67], in 2% of reptiles housed in three zoos in Norway (1/45;2%) [31], in 19.6% of reptiles selected from households and pet shops in Spain (68/349; 19.6%) [68] and in 26.2% wild reptiles in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) (17/65; 26.2%) [59]. Isolation of Salmonella serovars other than S. enterica subsp.…”

Genomics of Environmental Salmonella: Engaging Students in the Microbiology and Bioinformatics of Foodborne Pathogens

“…Complete and detailed wet lab and computational protocols, designed and formatted for use in the course, are freely available on the course Open Science Framework (OSF) page 2 . For Module 1, in addition to stream and manure sources of Salmonella as described here, S. enterica can be isolated from captive or wild reptiles (Marin et al, 2020), amphibians (Ribas and Poonlaphdecha, 2017) and rodents (Meerburg and Kijlstra, 2007;Swanson et al, 2007). Most of the protocols and methods can be modified for use with E. coli as well, which can be readily isolated from many urban and rural surface waters.…”