Dermatophytes and saprobe fungi isolated from dogs and cats in the city of Fortaleza, Brazil

The possible involvement of saprobe fungi in dermatomycoses, as well as the determination of the incidence of dermatophytes in dogs and cats were studied. During a period of one year, 74 dogs and 18 cats, with cutaneous lesions suggesting mycoses were included in this study. The mycological analyses were conducted by direct microscopy and by fungal culture on Sabouraud agar, chloramphenicol Sabouraud agar and mycosel agar. Of the 92 samples, 21 resulted in positive cultures for dermatophytes. Dematophyte fungi pure cultures were obtained from 13 samples. A simultaneous growth of dermatophytes plus saprobe fungi was observed in 8 of the samples. Of the remaining 71 samples, no fungal growth was observed in 10 samples, and at minimum the growth of one saprobe fungi in 61. One, two and three genera of saprobe were isolated in 29, 30 and 2 samples, respectively. Microsporum canis was isolated in 6 (28.6 per cent) and 10 samples (47.6 per cent) from cats and dogs, respectively, and Trichophyton mentagrophytes in 2 (9.5 per cent) and 3 samples (14.3 per cent) from cats and dogs, respectively. The following genera of saprobe fungi were also isolated: Alternaria sp (1.9 per cent), Chaetomium sp (1.9 per cent), Rhizopus sp (2.9 per cent), Curvularia sp (3.9 per cent), Candida sp (6.8 per cent), Trichoderma sp (6.8 per cent), Fusarium sp (7.8 per cent), Cladosporium sp (8.7 per cent), Penicillium sp (21.4 per cent) and Aspergillus sp (37.9 per cent)

Multirresistência a antimicrobianos mediada por plasmídios R em cepas de Shigella flexneri isoladas no nordeste do Brasil / Multiple antibiotic resistance mediated by R plasmid in Shigella flexneri strains isolated in the northeast of Brazil

Em amostras de S. flexneri, isoladas no período de 1989 a 1993, foi estudado o mecanismo molecular que mediava a multirresistência. Foram utilizadas no estudo 26 amostras de S. flexneri. Estas amostras foram submetidas a teste de sensibilidade a antimicrobianos, experimentos de conjugação e extração de plasmídios. Com relação ao padrão de resistência a antimicrobianos, observou-se que todas as amostras de S. flexneri eram resistentes a pelo menos três antimicrobianos. Das 26 amostras de S. flexneri doadoras submetidas ao processo de conjugação, 34,6% (9 amostras) resultaram em uma freqüência variável de transconjugantes. Das amostras que conjugaram, 100% transferiram o fator de resistência relacionado à ampicilina; sendo que em todas as transconjugantes foi evidenciado apenas um plasmídio de 23,1Kb. Este plasmídio, encontrado em todas as amostras de Shigellas, caracterizou-se como o portador de marca de resistência para ampicilina.

In Shigella strains were studied the molecular mechanism that mediated the multiply antibiotic-resistance. Twenty-six strains of Shigella flexneri were utilised in this investigation. These strains were submitted to disk diffusion test, mating experiments and plasmid isolation. In relation to antibiotics resistance standard it was observed that all Shigella flexneri strains were resistant to at least, three antibiotics tested. From twenty-six Shigella flexneri strains donors submitted to conjugation process, 34.6% (nine strains) resulted in variable frequency of transconjugants. From strains that conjugated, 100%, transferred the resistance factor acquainted with ampicillin. Being that, in all transconjugants which were observed, just one plasmid with 23.1 Kb was evidenced. This plasmid found in all strains was characterised as the cause of resistance to ampicillin.