Detecção de integrons e genes cassetes relacionados com a resistência a antimicrobianos em Vibrio spp. isolados de hemolinfa de camarões Litopenaeus vannamei (BONNE, 1931)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the resistance profile and the presence of resistance gene cassettes in vibrios isolated from shrimp hemolymph. Shrimp (n=80) were collected from four farms in Acaraú (A and B) and Aracati (C and D), Northeastern Brazil. The hemolymph was evaluated quantitatively for vibrios by spread plating. In the samples from Farms A and B, vibrio counts ranged from <10 to 3.4 x 106 CFU/mL and from <10 to 3.5 x 10³ CFU/mL, respectively. The corresponding figures for Farms C and D were <10 to 8.5 x 10³ CFU/mL and <10 to 1.6 x 10³ CFU/mL. All but one of the isolates from Acaraú (81/82) were identified down to the species: V. alginolyticus, V. coralliilyticus, V. harveyi, V. parahaemolyticus and V. mimicus. In the samples from Aracati, 41 isolates were identified, predominantly V. coralliilyticus, V. cholerae, V. mimicus and V. parahaemolyticus. Approximately 28% of the strains were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics tested. The antibiotics GEN, NAL, NIT, SUT, CIP, CLO and FLF were efficient. The drugs to which resistance was observed included AMP, CFL, ERI, TET and OTC. A considerable number of strains (87.9%) displayed intermediate levels of resistance while multiresistance was observed for 52 strains (41.6%). The MAR index of strains resistant to two or more antibiotics ranged from 0.2 to 0.26. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the isolates was 80-160 µg/L (AMP), 32-512 µg/L (CFL), 64-512 µg/L, 64-256 µg/L (ERI) and 128 µg/L (OTC). Following plasmidial curing, 52% (n=13) of the isolates displayed unchanged resistance profiles, while 48% changed to intermediate levels. In 32%, the gene intI1 was detected, while the gene was present in 100% of the plasmids, along with the cassettes blaP1 and ereA2. The finding of resistance to clinical antibiotics (AMP and CFL) suggests such drugs may have been released into the environment. The high level of intermediate resistance may be the result of survival-driven mutagenic processes. The observed resistance was of chromosomal origin or related to stable mobile elements. The presence of class 1 integrons in the chromosome and plasmids of vibrios isolated from shrimp hemolymph may pose a threat to the aquatic environment since integrons can be transferred between microorganisms.