(1) Background: postoperative surgical-site infections are a significant complication in small-animal surgical procedures, with detected rates ranging from 0.8% to 18.1%, depending on the type of surgery. The sterilization process of surgical instruments is a crucial factor in infection control, but the shelf life of surgical instruments and the best packaging method are not precisely defined due to the multiple variables that influence them. This study aimed to assess the shelf life of surgical instruments stored under controlled environmental conditions in a veterinary hospital and compare two packaging methods: using a self-sealing single pouch versus a self-sealing double pouch. (2) Methods: a sample of 400 non-sterile screws was divided into three groups: Group 1 (175 screws in single pouches), Group 2 (175 screws in double pouches), and Group 3 (50 non-sterile screws as a control group to verify the microbial culture efficiency). Microbiological tests were conducted at 1, 7, 15, 30, 60, 182, and 390 days post-sterilization. (3) Results: no bacterial growth was detected on screws packaged in single and double pouches up to 182 days. However, after 390 days, bacterial growth was observed in one screw packaged in a single pouch. In Group 3, only two screws turned out to be bacteriologically positive. (4) Conclusions: no statistical difference was found between the two groups; however, the detection of a single positive screw in the single-pouch group raised a potential clinical consideration, suggesting the need for further studies based on events and time.

The skin of turtles, particularly aquatic species, can harbor a diverse range of bacteria, including Citrobacter species, which are recognized as causative agents of Septicemic Cutaneous Ulcerative Disease. Consequently, turtles may act as reservoirs of pathogenic and multidrug-resistant bacteria, posing a potential public health concern. This case-based study investigated the presence of Citrobacter spp. in a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) housed at the Livorno Aquarium, Italy. Nine swabs were collected from skin lesions (plastron, carapace, nuchal mass), the oral cavity, and the cloaca. The isolated strains were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and tested for their susceptibility to 12 antimicrobials, belonging to eight antimicrobial classes, by the disc diffusion method. Isolates were investigated genotypically for extended-spectrum-β-lactamase (ESBL) bla_CTX−M, bla_TEM, bla_SHV, bla_PER, and metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) bla_IMP, bla_OXA−48, bla_VIM, bla_NDM, bla_GES genes. Biofilm production ability was also evaluated. Fifteen Citrobacter spp. strains were recovered from the analyzed samples. Complete resistance was recorded for ampicillin, followed by high levels of resistance to imipenem, tetracycline and piperacillin-tazobactam. Worryingly, 86.7% were classified as multidrug-resistant. The most common ESBL-genotype combination was bla_SHV and bla_PER genes (60%), while the most frequently detected MBL gene was bla_NDM (46.7%), followed by bla_GES (40%). Most isolates were classified as weak biofilm producers (80%). The findings of this study demonstrate the presence of Citrobacter spp., an opportunistic pathogen, with a notable prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains carrying beta-lactamase-encoding genes, in a loggerhead sea turtle in Italy, across both lesioned and healthy anatomical sites.

Animal health is a key pillar of the One Health framework, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment. Staphylococcus spp., common commensals of skin and mucosa, are clinically important due to their virulence factors and increasing antimicrobial resistance. This cross-sectional study aimed to isolate and characterize Staphylococcus spp. from dogs and their owners and to assess correlations within their nasal microbiota. Nasal swabs were collected from at least 100 dog–owner pairs at two Veterinary Teaching Hospitals located in Northern (Turin Province) and Southern (Naples Province) Italy. In both study areas, S. pseudintermedius was the most common species in dogs. Among owners, S. epidermidis was predominant in Naples, while S. epidermidis and S. aureus were most frequent in Turin. A subset of 54 dog–owner pairs sharing the same Staphylococcus species (42 from Turin and 12 from Naples; in total 108 isolates) was included in this analysis, with a focus on antimicrobial patterns. S. aureus was the species most frequently shared between dogs and owners, followed by S. epidermidis, with no significant differences between the two sites. In particular, methicillin resistance (phenotypically inferred) was detected in 16.7% of isolates in Turin (19.0% in dogs; 14.3% in owners) and 41.7% of isolates in Naples (33.3% in dogs; 50.0% in owners). Multidrug resistance was detected in 34.3% of paired isolates overall, with a higher prevalence in Naples (58.3%) compared to Turin (27.4%). No significant association emerged between biofilm production and multidrug resistance (MDR). Overall, these findings suggest possible species sharing between dogs and owners, while biofilm formation did not predict MDR.