Testudines as Sentinels for Monitoring the Dissemination of Antibiotic Resistance in Marine Environments: An Integrative Review

Dissemination of antibiotic resistance (AR) in marine environments is a global concern with propensity to affect public health and many ecosystems worldwide. We evaluated the use sea turtles as sentinel species for monitoring AR environments. In this field, antibiotic-resistant bacteria have been commonly identified by using standard culture sensitivity tests, leading an overrepresentation specific, culturable bacterial classes available literature. was detected against all major classes, but highest cumulative frequency represented geographical sites beta-lactam class two-fold difference compared other antibiotics. Wastewater facilities turtle rehabilitation centres were associated higher incidences multidrug-resistant (MDRB) accounting average 58% 49% resistant isolates, respectively. Furthermore, relatively similar prevalence MDRB seen studied locations. These data suggest that anthropogenically driven selection pressures development are There need, however, establish direct demonstrable associations between their respective wastewater anthropogenic activities