Elizabethkingia Miricola em rãs Touro (Aquarana Catesbeiana) cultivadas: ocorrência e perfil de resistência antimicrobiana

Abstract

Bullfrog farming has been established as a promising activity in Brazil, with particular emphasis on the production of the American bullfrog (Aquarana catesbeiana), an exotic species adapted to the country’s climatic conditions. However, infectious diseases represent one of the main production constraints, causing high mortality rates and economic losses. Among these, infection by Elizabethkingia miricola, an opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium that has emerged in Bullfrog farming since 2016, stands out.The present study aimed to characterize the disease associated with outbreaks and mortality in bullfrogs in the aquaculture sector of the Federal University of Uberlândia, as well as to identify the antimicrobial resistance profile. Organ samples were collected from animals showing neurological and systemic clinical signs and subjected to bacterial culture. Confirmation of the etiological agent was performed through Gram staining, revealing Gram-negative bacilli, and identification using the MALDI-TOF technique.Subsequently, antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the disk diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer), employing blood agar and Mueller-Hinton agar. The results demonstrated high antimicrobial resistance among the isolates, reinforcing the importance of performing antibiograms for appropriate therapeutic selection. Among the antimicrobials evaluated, florfenicol was used for treatment and showed potential as a therapeutic alternative for infection control.In addition, productive data and mortality rates from 2023 to 2025 were analyzed, demonstrating a significant economic impact associated with disease outbreaks.