CONJUNCTIVAL BACTERIAL FLORA, ANTIBIOGRAM, AND LACRIMAL PRODUCTION TESTS OF COLLARED ANTEATER ( TAMANDUA TETRADACTYLA )

The eye of the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla): Ophthalmic examination findings and diagnostic tests

OBJECTIVE

To describe ophthalmic examination and diagnostic values for Schirmer tear test (STT), intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal horizontal diameter (CHD), palpebral fissure length (PFL), fundoscopy, and palpebral conjunctiva microbiota from healthy giant anteaters.

ANIMALS STUDIED

Twelve giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), 11 adults and one juvenile, five males and seven females.

PROCEDURES

The animals were submitted to general anesthesia and ophthalmic evaluation with portable slit-lamp biomicroscope, Finoff transilluminator, and fundoscopy, as well as STT, bacterial culture from palpebral conjunctiva, rebound tonometry IOP, and measurement of PFL and CHD. Data compiled were analyzed with ANOVA and Tukey tests.

RESULTS

The results (mean ± standard deviation) were as follows: STT 8.04 ± 6.21 mm/min; IOP 10.92 ± 2.45 mmHg; PFL 0.75 ± 0.11 cm; CHD 0.96 ± 0.10 cm. Out of the 24 eyes swab samples for bacterial culture, 17 were positive, with three genera of Gram-positive bacteria identified Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus sp., and Corynebacterium sp. Gram-negative bacteria were not isolated from any of the samples.

CONCLUSIONS

As conservation work in this vulnerable species continues, this report on basic ophthalmic examination and diagnostic parameters will be helpful improve their treatment and care. More ophthalmic studies are encouraged in animals within the Pilosa order.

Conjunctival bacterial flora and antimicrobial susceptibility of captive and free-living sea turtles in Brazil

PURPOSE

To describe the aerobic conjunctival bacterial flora of 3 especies of free-living and under human care sea turtles and determine its antimicrobial susceptibility in vitro.

METHOD

Thirty-six sea turtles (72 eyes), juveniles and adults, 7 free-living Chelonia mydas and 8 Chelonia mydas, 4 Caretta caretta, 11 Eretmochelys imbricata, and 6 Lepidochelys olivacea under human care, were evaluated. Conjunctival cultures were collected for identification of aerobic bacteria and antimicrobial susceptibility testing for ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, neomycin, oxacillin, polymyxin B, tetracycline, and tobramycin using antibiotic disks. Bacterial strains showing no sensitivity to 4 or more antimicrobials were considered multiresistant to this panel.

RESULTS

Bacterial growth was observed in 12/14 (85.71%) samples in the free-living sea turtles, and there was growth in 100% (58/58) of the samples from captive animals. There were 94 strains isolated and 15 species identified. There was a predominance of Gram-positive bacteria in free-living Chelonia mydas, most of which were Bacillus and Staphylococcus. The most commonly isolated Gram-negative species were enterobacteria for free-living and under human care animals. The strains were predominantly sensitive to ciprofloxacin and tobramycin, and less sensitive to oxacillin or polymyxin B. Ten multiresistant strains were isolated. Yeast were identified in 13.89% (10/72) of the samples.

CONCLUSIONS

These results, showing differences in the conjunctival bacterial flora of free-living and captive animals, may be helpful for diagnosis and treatment of ocular disorders in sea turtles.