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 sea-water 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

Cryptic invasion in Southern Europe: The case of Ferrissia fragilis (Pulmonata: Ancylidae) Mediterranean populations

Four populations of the North American ancylid gastropod Ferrissia fragilis have been found in Southern Italy, thus expanding the known Eurasian distribution range of this invasive gastropod to the Mediterranean area. Both mitochondrial markers used for the molecular identification of the sampled specimens (16S and COI) showed a modest to absent haplotypic diversity in the studied Ferrissia populations from Europe and Asia, and their perfect identity with some of the haplotypes observed in North American F. fragilis populations. In the light of the scarce molecular diversity observed in the whole Palaearctic area and of the growing evidences for the ongoing spreading of the species in Europe, the occurrence of a single invasion event from North America possibly linked with aquarium plant trade followed by a rapid spreading of the species in Eurasia is suggested. The record of F. fragilis in Southern Italy caused some doubts on the presence of autochthonous Ferrissia populations in Europe and on the actual existence of Ferrissia wautieri. A molecular analysis of Ferrissia specimens from the loci typici of F. wautieri (Northern Italy) and F. clessiniana (Egypt) is definitely opportune

First record of the alien leech Myzobdella lugubris leidy, 1851 (Hirudinea, Piscicolidae) in the Palearctic

In this study, we report the occurrence of the Nearctic leech Myzobdella lugubris in a brackish water body of the Riserva Naturale dello Stato “Le Cesine” (Apulia, Italy). Two specimens of the species were collected in October 2016 from the neck and the forelimbs of a European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis hellenica, and identified both based on morphology and molecular sequence data. In its native range, M. lugubris is known to be a host and vector of bacteria and viruses, among which some serious fish pathogens. In light of the possible noxious ecological effects exerted through pathogen spillover on autochthonous vertebrates, the distribution of the species and its possible role as a vector of pathogens in the invaded area should be urgently monitored

Stand out from the crowd: Small-scale genetic structuring in the endemic sicilian pond turtle

The geographical pattern of genetic diversity was investigated in the endemic Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris across its entire distribution range, using 16 microsatellite loci. Overall, 245 specimens of E. trinacris were studied, showing high polymorphic microsatellite loci, with allele numbers ranging from 7 to 30. STRUCTURE and GENELAND analyses showed a noteworthy, geographically based structuring of the studied populations in five well-characterized clusters, supported by a moderate degree of genetic diversity (FST values between 0.075 and 0.160). Possible explanations for the genetic fragmentation observed are provided, where both natural and human-mediated habitat fragmentation of the Sicilian wetlands played a major role in this process. Finally, some conservation and management suggestions aimed at preventing the loss of genetic variability of the species are briefly reported, stressing the importance of considering the five detected clusters as independent Management Units

A comparative analysis of aquatic and polyethylene-associated antibiotic-resistant microbiota in the mediterranean sea

In this study, we evaluated the microbiome and the resistome profile of water and fragments of polyethylene (PE) waste collected at the same time from a stream and the seawater in a coastal area of Northwestern Sicily. Although a core microbiome was determined by sequencing of the V3–V4 region of the bacterial 16S rDNA gene, quantitative differences were found among the microbial communities on PE waste and the corresponding water samples. Our findings indicated that PE waste contains a more abundant and increased core microbiome diversity than the corresponding water samples. Moreover, PCR analysis of specific antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) showed that PE waste harbors more ARGs than the water samples. Thus, PE waste could act as a carrier of antibiotic-resistant microbiota, representing an increased danger for the marine environment and living organisms, as well