TITLE:
Report of Mollicutes in the Ear Canal of Domestic Dogs in Brazil
AUTHORS:
Sandra Batista dos Santos, Maína de Souza Almeida, Luana Thamires Rapôso da Silva, Júnior Mário Baltazar de Oliveira, Carlos Adriano de Santana Leal, José Wilton Pinheiro Júnior, Rinaldo Aparecido Mota
KEYWORDS:
Mollicutes, Otites, Canines, Microbiota, Brazil
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.3 No.7,
July
11,
2016
ABSTRACT: Several microorganisms as bacteria, fungi, yeast and ectoparasites
compose canine ear canal microbiota. These agents can be native or invasive
pathogens that cause clinical otitis. The aim of this study was to associate Mollicutes in external ear canal with
clinical otitis. 41 domestic dogs were examined, and a total of 82 otologic samples
were collected using sterile swabs, placed in a plastic storage tube containing
2 milliliters of sterile phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.2) and appropriately
labeled. The samples were processed for isolation of Mollicutes using Hayflick’s
medium. The frequency of Mollicutes class in the isolation was 32.9% (27/82).
14.8% (4/27) of the dogs, which were positive for Mollicutes, had external
otitis and 85.2% (23/27) were healthy dogs. The genus Mycoplasma spp. was detected in 7.4% (2/27) by digitonin test. It
was the first isolation of Mollicutes from
the external ear canal in dogs. Although there have been important findings in
this study, the presence of these bacteria cannot indicate the onset and
perpetuation of external otitis in dogs.