Outbreak of subclinical mastitis in a flock of dairy goats associated with atypical Staphylococcus haemolyticus

Conjunctival flora of clinically normal and diseased turtles and tortoises

BACKGROUND

In captive breed turtles and tortoises conjunctival disease is common. Our aim was to investigate the bacterial and fungal flora present in the eyes of healthy and pathological chelonians and to compare findings in turtles with those in tortoises.

RESULTS

Samples were taken from the conjunctival sacs of 34, diseased and healthy, chelonians (18 tortoises and 16 turtles) and submitted to bacterial and fungal investigation. All samples showed bacterial growth. Thirteen animals (38%), harboured a single bacterial species as sole isolate and twenty-one animals (62%) harboured more than one species. Detection of multiple bacterial infection was clearly greater in tortoises compared to turtles. Most frequently isolated bacterial species were Bacillus spp. (13 isolates), Staphylococcus xylosus (10 isolates), Sphingomonas paucimobilis (6 isolates), Staphylococcus sciuri and Aeromonas hydrophila/caviae (each 5 isolates), Ochrobactrum anthropi (3 isolates), Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter cloacae and Pseudomonas luteola (each 2 isolates). Only one isolate of Kocuria varians/rosea, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus auricularis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus lentus, Morganella morganii, Pasteurella multocida, Pasteurella pneumotropica/haemolytica, Proteus spp., Pseudomonas putida, Salmonella enterica ssp. arizonae, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Vibrio parahaemolyticus was evidenced. The presence in 8 animals of Mycoplasma spp. and in 1 animal with severe conjunctivitis of Chlamydia spp. was detected by PCR. Candida spp. was also isolated from two healthy animals.

CONCLUSIONS

A clear predominance of Gram positive isolates in tortoises and Gram negative isolates in turtles was found. However, we cannot ascribe the observed difference to the diversity of animal species, as other factors, including especially different characteristics of the living environments, may play a role. Almost all bacterial species isolated may have clinical significance, mostly as opportunistic pathogens, both for humans and animals. That chelonians are often carrier of bacteria with zoonotic potential is a well-known fact, in particular with regard to Salmonella spp. Therefore, it is not surprising the detection of a strain of Salmonella enterica ssp. arizonae in the eye of one of the animals tested. Worthy of note is the finding of Chlamydia spp. in a severe case of conjunctivitis, though we cannot epidemiologically assess a cause-effect relationship between presence of chlamydia and disease.

Mastite em pequenos ruminantes no Brasil

Este artigo objetivou revisar as informações recentes sobre mastite em pequenos ruminantes, abrangendo etiologia, epidemiologia, aspectos de controle e profilaxia. Houve a preocupação em reunir resultados de estudos desenvolvidos no Brasil, uma vez que a mastite tem a interferência de uma série de fatores, como fatores ambientais e outros decorrentes dos sistemas de manejo empregados, condições essas determinantes para etiologia e epidemiologia da enfermidade. A prevalência da mastite em caprinos varia entre 22 e 75%, sendo que os casos de mastite subclínica são os mais frequentes. Existe uma carência de trabalhos voltados para os aspectos epidemiológicos da enfermidade no nosso país. Contudo, observa-se que a mastite vem assumindo importância cada vez maior nos rebanhos voltados para produção de carne, sendo encontrados resultados de pesquisa, principalmente na espécie ovina. A mastite estafilocócica corresponde à maior fração nas infecções intramamárias em pequenos ruminantes. O caráter zoonótico de alguns patógenos, a exemplo do Staphylococcus aureus ressalta a importância da implantação de programas de controle em propriedades leiteiras. Algumas das ferramentas de diagnóstico ainda necessitam de padronização, principalmente para espécie caprina que apresenta uma série de particularidades. Ainda são discutidas as principais estratégias de controle como o manejo de fêmeas e suas crias, os procedimentos de ordenha e a utilização de vacinas.