Study of Zoonotic Pathogens in Alien Population of Veiled Chameleons (<i>Chamaeleo calyptratus</i>) in the Canary Islands (Spain)
2023
Román Pino-Vera | Néstor Abreu-Acosta | Pilar Foronda
Veiled chameleons (<i>Chamaeleo calyptratus</i>) are native to the Arabian Peninsula that have been introduced as pets in many regions around the world, such as the Canary Islands (Spain). In this work, the gastrointestinal content from veiled chameleons of Gran Canaria island (Canary Islands) has been analyzed to determine the presence of zoonotic bacteria. Forty animals were analyzed using different selective culture media and PCR. The most isolated bacteria were <i>Yersinia enterocolitica</i> (52.4%), followed by <i>Salmonella</i> spp. (40.0%), with positive isolates for <i>Salmonella</i> Tyhpi and <i>Salmonella</i> Typhimurium. <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. was found in 32.5% of the chameleons. More than half were positive for <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. Antibiotic-resistant <i>Staphylococcus</i> spp. was detected in six animals plus one isolate of non-resistant <i>Staphylococcus hominis</i>. Multiple mycobacteria species belonging to both tuberculous and non-tuberculous complexes were identified as well as <i>Escherichia coli</i> carrying the <i>stx</i><sub>1</sub> and <i>eae</i> virulence genes with 12.5% and 7.5% prevalence, respectively. <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>, <i>Campylobacter</i> spp., and <i>Vibrio</i> spp. were found in lower proportion (<5%). The results obtained indicate that veiled chameleons in Gran Canaria could be playing a role in the maintenance and dissemination of the pathogens detected, harming public health and biodiversity.
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