Antibacterial Activity of Some Essential Oils/Herbal Extracts Against Bacteria Isolated from Ball Pythons (Python...

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Microbiology
• Herpetology

Background:

• Respiratory diseases are a significant cause of illness and death in captive reptiles.
• Pneumonia is common in pet reptiles in Romania, often linked to poor husbandry, nutrition, and hygiene.
• Bacteria can be primary causes or secondary facilitators of respiratory disease severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate bacterial strains from ball python pneumonia cases.
• To determine antibiotic susceptibility of isolated bacteria.
• To evaluate the efficacy of essential oils and grapefruit seed extract against these bacteria.

Main Methods:

• Bacterial isolates were obtained from the lower respiratory tract of ball pythons with pneumonia.
• Identified bacterial genera included Chryseobacterium, Staphylococcus, Escherichia, and Pseudomonas.
• Antibiotic susceptibility testing and evaluation of essential oils (lemongrass, oregano, rosemary, sage) and grapefruit seed extract (GSE) were performed.

Main Results:

• Chryseobacterium indologenes was the most prevalent isolate (25%), followed by E. coli and S. epidermidis (16.6% each).
• All eight bacterial isolates were multidrug-resistant, exhibiting resistance to beta-lactams and fluoroquinolones.
• Grapefruit seed extract demonstrated antibacterial activity against all tested isolates.

Conclusions:

• The study identified common bacterial pathogens in ball python pneumonia, highlighting their multidrug resistance.
• All isolated bacteria possess zoonotic potential, emphasizing risks to owners.
• Essential oils, particularly grapefruit seed extract, show promise as adjunctive therapies for reptile respiratory infections.