High prevalence of multidrug-tolerant bacteria and associated antimicrobial resistance genes isolated from ornamental fish and their carriage water.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Antimicrobials are used to directly control bacterial infections in pet (ornamental) fish and are routinely added to the water these fish are shipped in to suppress the growth of potential pathogens during transport.

Methodology/principal findings

To assess the potential effects of this sustained selection pressure, 127 Aeromonas spp. isolated from warm and cold water ornamental fish species were screened for tolerance to 34 antimicrobials. Representative isolates were also examined for the presence of 54 resistance genes by a combination of miniaturized microarray and conventional PCR. Forty-seven of 94 Aeromonas spp. isolates recovered from tropical ornamental fish and their carriage water were tolerant to > or =15 antibiotics, representing seven or more differe

SUBMITTER: Verner-Jeffreys DW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2793012 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature