Microbiota da cavidade oral e da peçonha de Bothrops atrox Linnaeus, 1758 (Ophidia: Viperidae)

Abstract

Interest in research about Bothrops snake is growing, since the venom of these animals are used for therapeutic purposes. This study aimed to determine the bacteria in the oral cavity and venom in snakes of the species Bothrops atrox of a commercial breeding. We used 12 samples taken with the aid of sterile swab in the sheath region of prey, in animals with stomatitis, 30 samples of secretion in the mouth of healthy snakes and their dehydrated venom. The Samples were plated on agar- agar XLD blood and subsequently held If Gram staining and catalase tests and mannitol for Gram positive bacteria identification. For the identification of Gram negative bacteria was employed biochemical screening with Rugai medium Lysine. In the 30 healthy animals and six samples of venom the following Gram negative bacteria were isolated: Proteus spp (34.15%), Escherichia coli (26.84%), Citrobacter spp (14.63%), Serratia spp (9.75 %) and Enterobacter spp (7.31%) and Gram positive: Staphylococcus spp (4.88%) and Bacillus cereus (2.44%). In the 12 snakes with stomatitis Escherichia coli was isolated (26.31%), Citrobacter spp (21.05%), Proteus spp (15.78%), Salmonella (10.52%), and Staphylococcus spp (26.31%). Fisher\'s exact test showed a significant difference between samples of Staphylococcus spp from healthy snakes and serpents with stomatitis, suggesting that this microrganism is related to the cases of stomatitis in Bothrops atrox.