Antibiotic susceptibility of cultivable aerobic microbiota from the oral cavity of Echis carinatus from Odisha (India)
Authors: Gunanidhi Sahoo
Pratyush P Mohapatra
Laxmipriya Padhi
Sujogya Kumar Panda
Journal: Microbial Pathogenesis (2020)
Discipline: IMMUNOLOGY
Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Echis carinatus; Oral microflora; Snakebite; Zoonoses.
Affiliations: Department of Zoology, North Orissa University, Baripada, 757003, Odisha, India., Central Zone Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India., Department of Zoology, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar, 751004, Odisha, India. Electronic address: .

Abstract:  During a snake bite, the microbes may get transferred to the bite site and may cause secondary infection along with envenomation. The knowledge on the oral bacterial flora of snakes constitutes information important for snake bite management. The inadequately studied oral microflora of snakes differ geographically, temporally and among the members of the same species. The objective of this study is to determine the pattern of oral bacterial flora of Saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) and their susceptibility to antibiotics. Oral swabs were collected from nine healthy Saw-scaled vipers, subjected to microbiological, biochemical and molecular characterization. Additionally, these isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing using ICOSA-20-Plus and ICOSA-20-Minus. A wide range of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella arizonae, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Proteus penneri, Alcaligenes faecalis; Citrobacter diversus, C. freundii, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus anthracis, Staphylococcus sciuri and Achromobacter xylosoxidans were isolated as new additions to the floral diversity of saw scale viper. Most of the isolates were sensitive towards amikacin, azithromycin, imipenem, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, ofloxacin, sparfloxacin, tobramycin, levofloxacin, kanamycin, tetracycline, and chloramphenicol while resistant to amoxyclav, cephalothin, cefpodoxime, Co-Trimoxazole, oxacillin and penicillin. The present study revealed that the bacterial flora of the oral cavity of Saw-scaled viper is resistant to many common antibiotics, which are often used for the treatment of snake-bite victims. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Figure 1 and 3: The flow cytometry dot plot looks artificial. The dots are lined up in perfect lines. Figure 2: The vehicle treated mice look if they have been starved to death. XL765 treated mice look fine. Lung weight is significantly higher in vehicle treated compared to XL765 treated mice though. ![file] , 
 The flow panels appear to be density plots with shading that s (for some reason) rendered as a pixel pattern, giving the appearance of dots in straight lines. This is pretty clear from the full size versions of the figures. The vehicle treated mice have lungs filled with tumors, likely making them weigh more. This is clear from the histology next to it that you ignored. I m sure it must have been frustrating to go in convinced there was something wrong with this paper, see all those Western blots, and not be able to identify a duplication. But don t do this just because you re desperate to support your hypothesis. You re acting like a bad scientist. , 
 Flow cytometry data seem to be appropriately compensated, although could indeed be presented as higher-resolution plots. No issues with  perfect lines . The control mice do look a bit skinny though. , 
 I also forgot to mention that the flow cytometry data in figure 3 should not be presented as percentage. , 
 There are always legitimate differences of opinions as to data display and interpretation, as can be discerned by the disparate comments of our colleagues above. ,