Virulence Profiles and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Escherichia coli Strains from Pet Reptiles

Exotic reptiles are increasingly being bred as pets in many countries around the world, including Poland. However, the close contact between reptiles and their owners provides favourable conditions for the transmission of zoonotic pathogens. In this work, we examined E. coli isolates from 67 captive reptiles regarding their virulence, antibiotic susceptibility, phylogenetic affiliation, and genetic diversity. The incidence of E. coli was highest in snakes (51.6%, 16 isolates/31 samples), and slightly lower in turtles (44.4%, 8/18) and lizards (44.4%, 8/18). Genes encoding virulence factors were confirmed in 50% of isolates and the most common were the traT (37.5%, n = 12), fyuA (21.87%, n = 7), and irp-2 (15.62%, n = 5). The majority (71.87%, n = 23) of E. coli isolates were susceptible to all of the antimicrobial substances used in the study. Streptomycin resistance (21.87%, n = 7) was the most frequent, while resistance to other antimicrobial substances was sporadic. One strain (3.12%) was classified as multidrug-resistant. The presence of resistance genes (aadA, tetA, tetB, tetM, and blaTEM) was confirmed in 12.5% (n = 4) of the isolates. The majority (65.6%, n = 21) of E. coli isolates represented the B1 phylogenetic group. (GTG)5-PCR fingerprinting showed considerable genetic variation in the pool of tested isolates. The frequency of E. coli in reptiles is much lower than in mammals or birds. Due to the presence of virulence genes, characteristic of both intestinal pathogenic E. coli (IPEC) and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC), reptilian strains of E. coli have pathogenic potential, and therefore people in contact with these animals should follow good hygiene practices.