BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1579193
This article is part of the Research TopicPathogen Transmission at the Domestic-Wildlife Interface: A Growing Challenge that Requires Integrated Solutions - Volume IIView all 6 articles
ESBL/pAmpC-Producing Enterobacterales in common leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) and central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) from Portugal
Provisionally accepted
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusofona University, Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Common leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) and central bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) are widely kept as pets but can harbor pathogenic bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria. This study aimed to research the frequency of β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales in these two reptile species.A total of 132 samples were collected from the oral and cloacal cavities of healthy common leopard geckos and central bearded dragons in the Lisbon area, Portugal. Antimicrobial resistance was assessed for third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant Enterobacterales. The results revealed that 3GC-resistant Enterobacterales were observed in 17.9% (n = 14/78) of the reptiles. The most commonly identified species were.species identified were Citrobacter freundii and Klebsiella aerogenes. Furthermore, some isolates produced extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) and AmpC β-lactamases (AmpC) encoding genes such as blaCMY-2, blaCTX-M-15, and blaTEM-1. These findings emphasize the potential role of these reptiles in the spread of AMR bacteria, particularly in urban settings where human- animal interactions are frequent. Given the zoonotic risks, this study emphasizes the importance of continued surveillance and responsible antimicrobial use in both veterinary and human medicine to mitigate the spread of AMR bacteria.
Keywords: Reptiles, Third-generation cephalosporins, antimicrobial resistance, Enterobacterales , Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), AmpC β-lactamases (AmpC)
Received: 18 Feb 2025; Accepted: 07 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Valença, Fernandes, Smolders, Patrício and Belas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Adriana Belas, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Lusofona University, Lisboa, 1749-024, Lisbon, Portugal
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