ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ENTEROBACTERIA IN DOG PAWS Mariah Isabell Neris De Oliveira Assi, Wesley Faria Ferreira, Priscila Reina Siliano

Abstract

According to recent research, the pet population in Brazil has increased significantly over the years, and these animals, such as dogs and cats, have been gaining more and more space in domestic life, sharing environments such as beds, sofas, bathrooms and bedrooms. This study aimed to investigate and identify which types of microorganisms these animals carry, collecting dirt samples from the paws of 10 dogs, after walking on public roads with their caregiver or guardian. After collection, seeding and biochemical identification, it was observed that 6 of the 10 animals had paws contaminated by enterobacteria. The species found were Hafnia alvei, Escherichia coli, Serratia liquefaciens, Citrobacter diversus, Serratia sp, potential pathogens. Thus, as the animal can aggregate such microorganisms on its paws, it can also carry other potential pathogens such as fungi, other bacteria, viruses and protozoa. It is clear that cleaning paws with veterinary products indicated for this purpose is extremely important to prevent these bacteria from causing disease in animals and also to prevent the importation of such microorganisms with pathogenic potential into homes.