Coinfection of Klebsiella oxytoca and Granulicatella adiacens promoting fatal fibrinonecrotic enteritis in a red footed-tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria)

Abstract

Enteric bacterial infections in reptiles are commonly caused by Gram-negative bacteria with zoonotic importance, with few reports of Gram-positive bacteria as a causative agent of such infections. This case report presents a fatal case of fibrinonecrotic enteritis in a red-footed tortoise. After necropsy, microscopic and microbiological analyses of the small intestine were performed, suggesting the occurrence of a coinfection with two bacteria. Both isolates were subjected to partial 16S-rDNA sequencing and identified as Klebsiella oxytoca and Granulicatella adiacens. While Klebsiella oxytoca is a well-documented pathogen in reptiles, Granulicatella adiacens has previously been reported only in abscesses of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), injured tissues of Ozark hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi), and human infections, suggesting a potential unexplored zoonotic risk. This is the first report of enteric co-infection with K. oxytoca and G. adiacens, highlighting the need for further investigation into the potential impact of G. adiacens on reptile health and its possible zoonotic implications.