Assessment of antibacterial activity of donkey milk lysozyme : safety and hygiene issues

Donkey milk contains as much lysozyme (LZ) as equine milk (6000 times higher than bovine milk). LZ shows antibacte- rial activity against Gram-positive and some Gram-negative bacteria. LZ activity in donkey milk is very high and some authors supposed that donkey resistance to mammary infec- tion is probably due to high amount of LZ. There is scarce literature on this topic; the aim of the present study is thus to evaluate the antibacterial activity of 3 different donkey bulk milk (DBM) samples, on a total of 42 bacterial strains. The microorganisms were isolated from donkey and bovine milk. Lysozyme activity was evaluated by EnzCheck Ly- sozyme Assay Kit; the milk antibacterial activity was tested by Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) method, in micro- titer plates. The first milk sample inhibited only one Pseudo- monas sp strain (MIC of LZ = 5800 U/ml); the second sample had no antibacterial effect (MIC > 2740 U/ml), whereas the third sample prevented the growth of 50% of Staphylococcus aureus strains from DBM (MIC = 3400 U/ml). LZ showed no activity against bovine strains. Finally, the authors underline the importance of further studies for a deeper understanding of LZ antimicrobial activity, both for veterinary health purpo- ses and to protect a vulnerable group of consumers, such as in- fants affected by intolerance to some milk proteins

Antibiotic Resistance of Gram Negatives isolates from loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the central Mediterranean Sea

Previous studies on fish and marine mammals support the hypothesis that marine species harbor antibiotic resistance and therefore may serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistance genetic determinants. The aim of this study was to assess the resistance to antimicrobial agents of Gram negative strains isolated from loggerhead sea turtles (Carettacaretta). Oral and cloacal swabs from 19 live-stranded loggerhead sea turtles, with hooks fixed into the gut, were analyzed. The antimicrobial resistance of the isolates to 31 antibiotics was assessed using the disk-diffusion method. Conventional biochemical tests identified Citrobacter spp., Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., Escherichia spp., Providencia spp., Morganella spp., Pantoea spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Shewanella spp. Highest prevalences of resistance was detected to carbenicillin (100%), cephalothin (92.6%), oxytetracycline (81.3%) and amoxicillin (77.8%). The isolates showing resistance to the widest range of antibiotics were identified as Citrobacterfreundii, Proteusvulgaris, Providenciarettgeri and Pseudomonasaeruginosa. In this study, antibiotic resistant bacteria reflect marine contamination by polluted effluents and C.caretta is considered a bioindicator which can be used as a monitor for pollution

Agenti e vettori di zoonosi in tartarughe terrestri introdotte illlegalmente in Italia

Introduzione. Il commercio di animali esotici in Italia \ue8 un'attivit\ue0 lucrativa e spesso poco controllata. La crescente moda di adottare animali non convenzionali come pet, oltre alle problematiche conservazionistiche di tutela della biodiversit\ue0, pu\uf2 rappresentare una seria minaccia sanitaria attraverso l'introduzione e disseminazione di agenti patogeni e vettori. Nell'aprile del 2008, un carico di circa 1.400 tartarughe terrestri (Testudo graeca), introdotte illegalmente in Italia dal Nord Africa, \ue8 stato sequestrato dal nucleo CITES del Corpo Forestale dello Stato di Palermo. In questo studio sono riportati i risultati della valutazione sanitaria condotta su un campione delle tartarughe sequestrate. Metodi. La valutazione dello stato sanitario \ue8 avvenuta sia mediante esame clinico dei soggetti campionati sia mediante la ricerca dei pi\uf9 comuni agenti, parassitari e batterici, di zoonosi nei rettili. In particolare, 585 tartarughe sono state esaminate per la presenza di zecche ed \ue8 stata calcolata una statistica descrittiva per ciascuna specie isolata. Relativamente agli agenti batterici, un campione composto da 146 tamponi cloacali \ue8 stato investigato per la presenza di Salmonella spp. con le metodiche batteriologiche standard. I ceppi isolati sono stati identificati sulla base di prove biochimiche, tipizzati sierologicamente e sottoposti a prova di sensibilit\ue0 agli antibiotici. Risultati. La maggior parte delle tartarughe esaminate presentava condizioni sanitarie scadenti. L'infestazione da zecche era presente nel 37,6% (220/585) degli animali, con frequenze significativamente pi\uf9 alte nelle tartarughe con peso superiore a 100 g (61%) rispetto a quelle di peso inferiore (12%). L\u2018infestazione era sostenuta esclusivamente da Hyalomma aegyptium con valori di intensit\ue0 media variabili tra 1,3 (<100 g) e 4,1 (>100 g). Dai 146 tamponi cloacali sono stati isolati 91 ceppi di Salmonella spp. (62,3%) appartenenti a 20 differenti sierotipi. Di questi, 67 isolati (73,6%) appartenevano alla sottospecie I (Salmonella enterica) e 24 (26,4%) a sierotipi "esotici" (sottospecie II e IIIb). Tutti i ceppi isolati sono risultati sensibili alla maggior parte delle molecole antibiotiche testate. Conclusioni. La presenza di una diffusa infestazione da H. aegyptium riveste notevole importanza sanitaria, data la capacit\ue0 del genere Hyalomma di veicolare temibili patogeni come il virus della Crimean-Congo Haemorragic Fever. Altrettanto importante dal punto di vista sanitario \ue8 l'elevata frequenza di isolamento di salmonelle dai campioni fecali associata, inoltre, ad una maggiore presenza di sierotipi a elevato potenziale zoonosico. Sulla base dei risultati ottenuti in questo studio sarebbe auspicabile un potenziamento delle attivit\ue0 di sorveglianza e controllo veterinario nella commercializzazione di animali esotici

Pathogenic microorganisms carried by migratory birds passing through the territory of the island of Ustica, Sicily (Italy).

Several studies have shown that migratory birds play an important role in the ecology, circulation and dissemination of pathogenic organisms. In October 2006, a health status evaluation was performed on a large population of migratory birds passing through the territory of Ustica (Italy), an island located on the migration route of many species of birds to Africa, and various laboratory tests were conducted. In total, 218 faecal swabs and the internal organs of 21 subjects found dead in nets were collected for bacteriological and virological examination, including avian influenza and Newcastle disease. In addition, 19 pooled fresh faecal samples were collected for mycological examination. The bacteriological analysis produced 183 strains belonging to 28 different species of the Enterobacteriaceae family. In particular, Salmonella bongori, Yersinia enterocolitica and Klebsiella pneumonia strains were isolated. Almost all of the isolates were susceptible to sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprime (99.4%), cefotaxime (98.9%), nalidixic acid (96.7%), chloramphenicol (95.6%), and tetracycline (93.4%). Alternatively, many strains were resistant to ampicillin (42.6%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (42.6%), and streptomycin (43.7%). According to reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction analysis, all of the samples were negative for the M gene of avian influenza virus. Moreover, isolation tests conducted on specific pathogen free eggs were negative for avian influenza and Newcastle disease. Several hyphomycetes and yeasts belonging to different genera were present in the specimens, and Cryptococcus neoformans was observed in a pooled faecal sample. Antibiotic resistance in wildlife can be monitored to evaluate the impact of anthropic pressure. Furthermore, migratory birds are potential reservoirs of pathogenic agents; thus, they can be regarded as sentinel species and used as environmental health indicators