Antibiotic and Heavy Metal Susceptibility of Non-Cholera <i>Vibrio</i> Isolated from Marine Sponges and Sea Urchins: Could They Pose a Potential Risk to Public Health?

• Main Authors: Wellington Felipe Costa (Author), Marcia Giambiagi-deMarval (Author), Marinella Silva Laport (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2021-12-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 10.3390/antibiotics10121561; 2079-6382
• Keywords: beta-lactamase; copper resistant; <i>Darwinella</i>; hemolysin; <i>Paracentrotus lividus</i>; <i>Vibrio</i> alginolyticus; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950
• Source: Antibiotics, Vol 10, Iss 12, p 1561 (2021)

<i>Vibrio</i> is an important human and animal pathogen that can carry clinically relevant antibiotic resistance genes and is present in different aquatic environments. However, there is a knowledge gap between antibiotic and heavy metal resistance and virulence potential when it is part of the microbiota from marine invertebrates. Here, we aimed to evaluate these characteristics and the occurrence of mobile genetic elements. Of 25 non-cholera <i>Vibrio</i> spp. from marine sponges and sea urchins collected at the coastlines of Brazil and France analyzed in this study, 16 (64%) were non-susceptible to antibiotics, and two (8%) were multidrug-resistant. Beta-lactam resistance (<i>bla</i>_SHV) and virulence (<i>vhh</i>) genes were detected in sponge-associated isolates. The resistance gene for copper and silver (<i>cusB</i>) was detected in one sea urchin isolate. Plasmids were found in 11 (44%) of the isolates. This new information allows a better comprehension of antibiotic resistance in aquatic environments, since those invertebrates host resistant <i>Vibrio</i> spp. Thus, <i>Vibrio</i> associated with marine animals may pose a potential risk to public health due to carrying these antibiotic-resistant genes.