Arcobacter spp. in environmental waters in Sicily: occurrence, antimicrobial resistance and relationship with bacteria indicators of fecal pollution

Arcobacter spp. are emerging enteropathogens and potential zoonotic agents that can be transmitted by food and water. The species A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus have been associated with bacteremia, gastroenteritis and diarrhea in humans and with abortion and diarrhea in animals: the water plays an important role in the transmission. Aims of the present study were to evaluate the presence of Arcobacter spp. from different water sources, to assessed the possible correlation with the levels of fecal indicator bacteria and to determine the antimicrobial resistance of the isolates

Haemolymphatic Parameters in Two Aquaculture Crustacean Species Cherax destructor (Clark, 1836) and Cherax quadricarinatus (Von Martens, 1868)

In the last few years, there has been a notable development in the breeding of freshwater shrimp (astaciculture), which involved various species and in particular, the two Australian Parastacidae species, Cherax destructor and Cherax quadricarinatus. Information about the haemolymphatic parameters of these two species is fragmentary, and filling these gaps becomes important given their importance in aquaculture. Cellular and biochemical parameters were analyzed in both species to create a reference baseline for these parameters to identify the state of welfare or suffering of these animals. The results showed that the total haemocyte count, haemocyte subpopulations, enzymatic activities and pH are similar between the two species, while total protein and osmolality are higher in C. destructor than C. quadricarinatus. Knowledge of these parameters could assist in evaluating the good health status of these species kept in aquaculture facilities

Cherax destructor (Clark, 1836) and Cherax quadricarinatus (von Martens, 1868): Biochemical parameters and preliminary analysis of food quality

The breeding of Cherax spp., initially conducted in Australia, has aroused interest in Europe and Italy over the past two decades. The use of these species in aquaculture has led to the study of their nutritional properties to evaluate the commercial potential and to identify biochemical haemolymphatic parameters which may be of use when monitoring the health status of farmed animals. Moisture, ash, lipid, protein and fatty acid contents of the abdomen muscle of Cherax destructor and Cherax quadricarinatus were evaluated in this study and compared with other crustacean species. Haemolymphatic levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and lactate dehydrogenase were also measured. The two species did not show significant differences in nutritional or biochemical haemolymphatic parameters (except for glucose) and were found to possess good nutritional values for human consumptio

Detection of Arcobacter spp. in food products collected from Sicilia region: A preliminary study

The aim of the study was to evaluate the occurrence of Arcobacter spp. in food samples collected from Sicilia region. A total of 91 food products of animal origin (41 meat, 17 fresh milk, 18 shellfish) and 15 samples of fresh vegetables, were examined by cultural method and confirmed by biochemical analysis and PCR methods. The detection of Arcobacter spp. was performed, after selective enrichment, on two selective agar plates: Arcobacter agar and mCCD (modified charcoal cefoperazone deoxycholate) agar supplemented with CAT (Cefoperazone, Amphotericin B and Teicoplanin). Arcobacter species were isolated using the membrane filtration technique. In 13 (14.3%) out of the 91 tested samples, the presence of Arcobacter spp. was found: the isolates were confirmed by multiplex PCR and identified as belonging to the species A. butzleri and A. cryaerophilus. The highest prevalence rate was observed in chicken meat (8.8%) followed by shellfish (3.3%). Negative results have been obtained for raw milks and vegetables samples. The preliminary study highlights the importance of this emerging pathogen and the need for further studies on its prevalence and distribution in different types of food for human consumption

Occurrence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Arcobacter spp. Recovered from Aquatic Environments

Arcobacter spp. are emerging waterborne and foodborne zoonotic pathogens responsible for gastroenteritis in humans. In this work, we evaluated the occurrence and the antimicrobial resistance profile of Arcobacter isolates recovered from different aquatic sources. Besides, we searched for Arcobacter spp. in seaweeds and the corresponding seawater samples. Bacteriological and molecular methods applied to 100 samples led to the isolation of 28 Arcobacter isolates from 27 samples. The highest prevalence was detected in rivers followed by artificial ponds, streams, well waters, and spring waters. Seaweeds contained a higher percentage of Arcobacter than the corresponding seawater samples. The isolates were identified as Arcobacter butzleri (96.4%) and Arcobacter cryaerophilus (3.6%). All the isolates showed a multi-drug resistance profile, being resistant to at least three different classes of antibiotics. Molecular analysis of genetic determinants responsible for tetracycline resistance in nine randomly chosen isolates revealed the presence of tetO and/or tetW. This work confirms the occurrence and the continuous emergence of antibiotic-resistant Arcobacter strains in environmental samples; also, the presence of quinolone-resistant Arcobacter spp. in aquatic sources used for water supply and irrigation represents a potential risk for human health

First record of Temnosewellia minor (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalidae) in Sicily, with a plea for a re-examination of the identity of the publicly available molecular sequences of the genus

Ectosymbiotic temnocephalan flatworms belonging to the genus Temnosewellia Damborenea and Cannon, 2001 were collected on Cherax destructor Clark, 1936 in an aquaculture farm in Sicily, Italy. This represents the first record of a temnocephalan species for the fauna of the island. Morphological and molecular identification of the collected specimens proved that they belong to the allochthonous species Temnosewellia minor Haswell, 1888, which was introduced along with crayfishes bred in aquaculture farms. The phylogenetic analyses carried out for the molecular identification of the Sicilian population highlighted some inconsistencies in the grouping of the Temnosewellia sequences available online, thus stressing the opportunity of a careful re-examination of the voucher samples and their identifications. The risks of a its unwary introduction in the wild and the need of monitoring its possible impacts on native biota are briefly discussed

First record of Temnosewellia minor (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalidae) in Sicily, with a plea for a re-examination of the identity of the publicly available molecular sequences of the genus

Ectosymbiotic temnocephalan flatworms belonging to the genus Temnosewellia Damborenea and Cannon, 2001 were collected on Cherax destructor Clark, 1936 in an aquaculture farm in Sicily, Italy. This represents the first record of a temnocephalan species for the fauna of the island. Morphological and molecular identification of the collected specimens proved that they belong to the allochthonous species Temnosewellia minor Haswell, 1888, which was introduced along with crayfishes bred in aquaculture farms. The phylogenetic analyses carried out for the molecular identification of the Sicilian population highlighted some inconsistencies in the grouping of the Temnosewellia sequences available online, thus stressing the opportunity of a careful re-examination of the voucher samples and their identifications. The risks of a its unwary introduction in the wild and the need of monitoring its possible impacts on native biota are briefly discussed

CHERAX DESTRUCTOR (CLARK, 1836) AND CHERAX QUADRICARINATUS (VON MARTENS, 1868): SAFETY AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY- Premio "YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD"

Two species of freshwater Parastacidae (Cherax quadricarinatus and Cherax destructor) are used for breeding in several country and to date also in Italy in one aquaculture plant located near Catania (Sicily). Although they are Australian, they seem to have some of the peculiar properties that make it important, strategic and highly appreciated species for aquaculture facilities in Italy. In fact, they mature early, have multiple reproductive cycles in a year, females can lay over a thousand eggs in a single brood and seem to tolerate wide ranges of temperature (Haubrock et al., 2021). Several authors have studied the Cherax genus from different points of view: diseases, moulting phases and the immune responses under stress conditions (Mac Loughlin et al., 2016; Sacristán et al., 2016; Foysal et al., 2020). To date, even if it is known the economic value of these species, the nutritional properties for human were not yet evaluated. The economic expenses behind the maintenance of an aquaculture facilities must certainly be justified by: i) maintenance of species that can guarantee a competitive product on the market; ii) their good nutritional levels as well as for the organoleptic characteristics. Our study, conducted as part of a project “POFEAMP 02/INA/17’ (02/INA/17, PO-FEAMP 2014-2020”, represents for the first time a preliminary evaluation of some macronutrient parameters important to know the nutritional properties of these animals. For this reason, some parameters, as the level of total protein, cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and lactate dehydrogenase in two Cherax species, Cherax quadricarinatus and Cherax destructor were evaluated in haemolymph and in muscle tissue. These results can be useful both for evaluating the good health of these animals kept in aquaculture facilities and for evaluating better their nutritional properties. In the future, these Cherax species could increase their consumption and allow their greater presence in dietary habits