Antimicrobial resistance of cultivable bacteria isolated from Sorcerer’s Cave in Texas

Authors

Jennifer R. Huddleston, Abilene Christian University, Texas, USAFollow
David E. Sanderson, Abilene Christian University, Texas, USAFollow
Braden J. Smith, Abilene Christian University, Texas, USAFollow
Joshua M. Brokaw, Abilene Christian University, Texas, USAFollow
Evan M. Babb, Abilene Christian University, Texas, USAFollow
Jeffrey T. Wooliscroft, Abilene Christian University, Texas, USAFollow

Highlights

• Under half (41.4%) of the Gram+ and 68.4% of the Gram- were resistant to three or more antimicrobials
• The two most common genera identified were Pseudomonas and Bacillus
• Sorcerer's Cave bacteria were more antimicrobial resistant than those in other caves

Abstract

Studying caves with minimal human contact offers insights into antimicrobial resistance before human influence. In this study, we isolated 315 bacterial strains from Sorcerer’s Cave in Texas and evaluated their resistance to seven common antimicrobials. Under half (41.4%) of the Gram-positive isolates and 68.4% of the Gram-negative isolates were resistant to three or more antimicrobials. The two most common genera identified were Pseudomonas and Bacillus. Compared to bacteria isolated in previous cave studies, Sorcerer’s Cave bacteria exhibited more extensive antimicrobial resistance. This study underscores the importance of minimally disturbed cave environments in advancing our knowledge of antimicrobial resistance present in these settings.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.ijs2553

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Huddleston, J.R., Sanderson, D.E., Smith, B.J., Brokaw, J.M., Babb, E.M., Wooliscroft, J.T., 2026. Antimicrobial resistance of cultivable bacteria isolated from Sorcerer’s Cave in Texas. International Journal of Speleology, 55(1), ijs2553. https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.ijs2553