Nasal, oral and rectal microbiota of Black lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysopygus)

Black lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) are endangered callithrichids. Their conservation may require future translocations or reintroductions; however these approaches involve risks of pathogen introduction in the environment and stress-related opportunistic infections in these animals. In order to screen for opportunistic and potential pathogenic bacterial and fungal microbiota, ten free-ranging and ten captive Black lion tamarins were studied and the results compared. Nasal, oral and rectal swabs were collected and cultured for aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria and fungi, and a total 203 bacterial and 84 fungal isolates were obtained. Overall, the most frequent organisms were Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Candida spp. and Aspergillus spp. Microbiota of free-ranging and captive animals were similar in composition. A number of potentially pathogenic organisms were identified, emphasizing the importance of microbiological screening in future translocation or reintroduction conservation management programs.

Infecções do trato urinário (ITU) de cães e gatos: etiologia e resistência aos antimicrobianos / Urinary tract infection (UTI) in dogs and cats: etiology and antimicrobial resistance

As infecções bacterianas do trato urinário (ITUs) são causa comum de doença em cães, gatos e humanos. Embora bactérias Gram positivas como Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp. e Enterococcus spp., possam ocasionar ITUs, as bactérias Gram negativas (Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp. e Enterobacter spp.) respondem por 75% dos casos. Este estudo teve como objetivo determinar a frequência de diferentes gêneros de bactérias em ITUs em cães e gatos, bem como a sua sensibilidade aos antimicrobianos utilizados na rotina clínica. Portanto, amostras de urina de 100 cães e gatos com sinais de ITU foram coletadas assepticamente, sofrendo avaliação microbiológica por meio de métodos qualitativos e quantitativos, além de urinálise. Todos os isolados foram submetidos a testes de sensibilidade aos antimicrobianos. ITU foi confirmada em 74% dos animais, não havendo predominância quanto ao sexo. No que diz respeito à idade, 85% dos cães e 87% dos gatos tinham idades superiores a seis anos. Noventa e cinco cepas bacterianas foram isoladas, com maior frequência de Escherichia coli (55% do total) dos sorogrupos O6 e O2. Constatou-se níveis elevados de resistência a antimicrobianos nas cepas isoladas. Para as cepas Gram positivas, tetraciclina (46,1%), enrofloxacina, cotrimazol e estreptomicina (42,3% cada) foram as drogas com os maiores índices de resistência. Para as Gram negativas, amoxacilina e tetraciclina apresentaram percentuais acima de 50%. Multiresistência foi verificada em mais de 50% dos principais gêneros isolados. Considerando-se que as cepas de E. coli apresentam potencial zoonótico e forte participação na disseminação de resistência aos antimicrobianos, ressalta-se a importância do papel do médico veterinário na prevenção e controle das ITUs animais e sua contribuição para a saúde pública.

Bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common cause of disease in dogs, cats and humans. Although Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp. and Enterococcus spp. are linked with UTIs, Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Proteus spp., Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacter spp.) account for 75% of the cases. This study aimed to determine the frequency of different genera of bacteria in UTIs of dogs and cats as well as their susceptibility to antimicrobials used in clinical routine. Therefore, urine samples from 100 dogs and cats suspected of UTI were collected aseptically. Samples underwent to microbiological evaluation through qualitative and quantitative methods, and urinalysis. All isolates were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. UTI was confirmed in 74% of animals, with no predominance in one gender. With regard to age, 85% of dogs and 87% of cats were older than six years. Ninety-five bacterial strains were isolated with higher frequency of Escherichia coli (55% of total) of serogroups O6 and O2. High levels of antimicrobial resistance were found. Gram-positive strains had the highest resistance to tetracycline (46.1%), enrofloxacin, cotrimazol and streptomycin (42.3% each), while above 50% of Gram-negative were resistant to amoxicillin and tetracycline. Multidrug resistance has been observed in more than 50% of the major genera isolated. Considering the zoonotic potential of E. coli strains and its strong participation in antimicrobial resistance dissemination, the important role of the veterinarians in the prevention and control of animal UTIs and their contribution to public health must be emphasized.