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Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances

Year: 2017 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 4 | Page No.: 212-217
DOI: 10.3923/ajava.2017.212.217
High Prevalence of Quinolone Resistance Genes in Citrobacter freundii Isolated from Pet Turtles
Sabrina Hossain, B.C.J. De Silva, S.H.M.P. Wimalasena, H.N.K.S. Pathirana and Gang-Joon Heo

Abstract: Background and Objective: Citrobacter freundii is a normal bacterial flora in pet turtles, which could opportunistically become pathogenic. Their possession of quinolone resistance genes owns significance both in humans and animals. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the quinolone resistance genes in C. freundii isolated from seven species of pet turtles. Methodology: Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disk diffusion test and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values against quinolones. Transferrable quinolone resistance determinants such as plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) genes were identified by PCR. Nucleotide sequencing was performed to detect aac(6')-Ib-cr variant and point mutations in quinolone resistance determining region (QRDR) of gyrA gene. Results: Twenty-nine C. freundii isolates were obtained from 41 fecal samples of pet turtles. All the isolates were resistant against nalidixic acid in disk diffusion test. Each isolate from river cooter turtles showed a high quinolone resistance compared to others in disk diffusion test and MIC values. Four isolates from Chinese stripe-necked turtles showed reduced susceptibility to ciprofloxacin in MIC. With regards to PMQR determinants, the qnrB was the most prevalent gene (51.17%) among all isolates. The qnrS gene was present in seven C. freundii isolates (24.14%). The aac(6')-Ib-cr gene was detected only in four isolates (13.79%). A single amino acid substitution (Thr83-Ile) was observed in the gyrA gene of 8 (27.59%) isolates. Conclusion: The current study revealed that most of the C. freundii strains isolated from pet turtles are resistant to quinolones and harbored PMQR genes and QRDR mutations.

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How to cite this article
Sabrina Hossain, B.C.J. De Silva, S.H.M.P. Wimalasena, H.N.K.S. Pathirana and Gang-Joon Heo, 2017. High Prevalence of Quinolone Resistance Genes in Citrobacter freundii Isolated from Pet Turtles. Asian Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 12: 212-217.

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