title: Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) carrying antibiotic resistant enterococci. A potential bioindicator of marine contamination?
abstract: Antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a growing problem that is not only restricted to the clinical setting but also to other environments such as marine species that harbor antibiotic resistant bacteria and therefore may serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistance genetic determinants. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibiotic resistance phenotypes in enterococci isolated from fecal samples of gilthead seabream and the associated mechanisms of resistance. A collection of 118 samples were analyzed and 73 enterococci were recovered. The strains showed high percentages of resistance to erythromycin and tetracycline (58.9% and 17.8%, respectively). Lower level of resistance (<13%) was detected for quinupristin-dalfopristin, ampicillin, high-level-gentamicin, high-level-streptomycin, high-level-kanamycin, ciprofloxacin and chloramphenicol. The erm(B), tet(L) or tet(M), aac(6')-aph(2″) and aph(3')-IIIa genes were shown in isolates resistant to erythromycin, tetracycline, high-level gentamicin and high-level kanamycin, respectively. Antibiotic resistance in natural microbiota is becoming a concern of human and environmental health.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Center of Genomics and Biotechnology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Igrejas
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Hajer
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Radhouani
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Patrícia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poeta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000382:microbiology*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data