Multiple drug resistant Enterococcus spp. causes disease and mortality in Zebra fish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

The present report describes the isolation and identification of a multiple drug resistant Enterococcus spp. from diseased zebrafish from a commercial rearing facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) has recently gained great significance as a vertebrate animal model, as its immune system is remarkably similar with that of the humans. However, zebrafish are still susceptible to microbial infection. Gram positive diplococci isolated from kidney was identified as Enterococcus spp. using 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. The Enterococcus spp. isolate was either resistant and or intermediately resistant to 14 antibiotics assessed by agar disc diffusion method. This communication is the first report on isolation and confirmation of Enterococcus spp. associated with disease and mortality in zebrafish.