ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To investigate normal aerobic bacterial microbiota of the eye surface in vvcaptive and free-ranging bats belonging to the suborder Microchiroptera. ANIMALS STUDIED: A total of 36 bats belonging to three different species (Desmodus rotundus, Diameus youngi, and Artibeus lituratus) were used to perform this investigation. Thirteen Diameus youngi and six Desmodus rotundus were trapped in a cave, and 17 captive Artibeus lituratus were obtained from an experimental colony. Both free-ranging and captive bats were free of apparent ocular or systemic disease. PROCEDURES: Corneal and conjunctival swabs were collected from both eyes to identify the resident bacterial microbiota. RESULTS: Seventeen bats had positive bacterial cultures in one or both eyes. Considering all isolates, Gram-positive bacteria (82.6%) predominated over those that were Gram-negative bacteria (17.4%). Coagulase-negative staphylococci (30.4%) were the most isolated genus, followed by Bacillus spp. (26%) and Corynebacterium spp. (21%). Only four Gram-negative species were isolated: Shigella spp., Hafnia alvei, Morganella morganii, and Flavobacterium odoratum. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, bacterial microbiota of the ocular surface of bats was described, and Staphylococcus spp. were the most frequently isolated type of microorganism from healthy bat eyes.
Subject(s)
Animals, Wild , Bacteria/classification , Chiroptera/microbiology , Eye/microbiology , Animals , Species SpecificityABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To carry out a descriptive investigation into the most relevant morphological features of the chinchilla eye and bony orbit, as well as to perform selected ophthalmic diagnostic tests with the aim of establishing normal anatomic and physiologic references for this species. METHOD: A total of 57 healthy, chinchillas were used to test most of the parameters in this investigation. Besides morphologic observations of the globe and adnexa, selected ocular tests and parameters were investigated, including blink frequency, palpebral fissure length (PFL), Schirmer tear test (STT), esthesiometry, intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), B-mode echobiometric measurements of the globe and culture of the normal conjunctival bacterial microbiota. Morphologic observations were made using six formalin-fixed globes and four macerated skulls. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Normal parameters found for selected ocular diagnostic tests were: blink frequency: 2.6 ± 0.84 blinks per 10 min; STT: 1.07 ± 0.54 mm; esthesiometry: 1.24 ± 0.46 cm; IOP: 17.71 ± 4.17 mmHg; CCT: 0.34 ± 0.03 mm; PFL: 1.44 ± 0.11 cm; anterior chamber depth: 2.01 ± 0.2 mm; axial lens thickness: 5.49 ± 0.43 mm; vitreous chamber depth (internal): 3.69 ± 0.52 mm; axial globe length: 1.14 ± 0.07 cm. The most frequent bacteria isolated from the conjunctiva were Streptococcus sp. (27.45%), Staphylococcus aureus (23.52%) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (19.60%). No statistically significant differences between left or right eyes or genders were found for any of the results. Reference data and morphologic observations obtained in this investigation will help veterinary ophthalmologists to recognize unique morphological features and more accurately diagnose ocular diseases in the chinchilla, an animal already being used as a biological model for ophthalmic studies.
