Prevalence of Klebsiella oxytoca in Anolis carolensis of Louisiana

Abstract

Klebsiella oxytoca is a gram-negative bacterium that can be found throughout the environment as well as on mucosal membranes of mammals including humans. This bacterium is responsible for a variety of infections in humans including nosocomial infections resulting in hospital outbreaks. Reptiles including snakes, tuataras, and turtles have been shown to harbor this bacterium, and previous studies have shown that pet reptiles are a potential source for dissemination of pathogenic bacteria. Green anoles (Anolis carolensis) are a common lizard found in the southeastern part of the United States. For this study, the prevalence of K. oxytoca in free-living green anoles from Louisiana was tested to determine whether anoles are a possible source of pathogenic bacteria. Of the 42 green anoles tested, 7 (17%) were positive for K. oxytoca, demonstrating that anoles are a potential source for human infection from this bacterium.