ABSTRACT
The raising of ostriches (Struthio camelus) has been implanted in Brazil as a lucrative alternative in the Brazilian livestock, attracting the interest of new farmers. The knowledge of the aerobic and anaerobic gastrointestinal microflora of these birds, besides contributing to their health, would help in the identification of pathogenic microorganisms that also infect the human being and other animals. The present study was aimed to identify of the aerobioc and anaerobioc microorganisms that compose the gastrointestinal microbiota of ostriches submitted to necropsy in the Avian Pathology Service, Medicine Veterinary Course, UNESP, Campus of Araçatuba. Out of 30 birds necropsied, from both sexes and with age varying between 1 day to 3 years of age, 53 samples of Escherichia coli (61.0%), 7 of Candida spp. (8.0%), 6 of Salmonella spp. (6.9%), 5 of Morganella spp. (5.7%), 4 of Klebsiella spp. (4.6%), 3 of Providencia spp. (3.45%), 2 of Pseudomonas spp. and Staphylococcus spp. (2.3%) and 1 of Citrobacter spp., Edwarsiella tarda, Enterococcus spp., Moerella spp. and Proteus mirabilis were isolated. Of the anaerobic microbiota, 19 samples of Lactobacillus spp. (38%), 15 of Clostridium spp. (30%), 5 of Fusobacterium spp. (10%) and 4 of Peptoestreptococcus spp (8%) were isolated. From the proventriculus mucosa 15 samples of Candida spp. (51.7%), 6 of Lactobacillus spp. (20.7%), 5 of Aspergillus spp. (17,24%), 2 of Penicillium spp. (7%) and 1 of Staphylococcus spp. (3.45%) were identified. From the gizzard, 21 samples of Candida spp. (58.3%), 9 of Aspergillus spp. (25%), 5 of Lactobacillus spp. (13.9%) and 1 sample of Sthaphylococcus spp. (2.8%) were isolated.
KEY WORDS:
Ostriches (Struthio camelus); aerobic; anaerobic; gastrointestinal microflora.