Bioaerossóis e seus riscos à saúde ambiental em um pet shop

Abstract

Occupational exposure to cats and dogs can cause respiratory symptoms in veterinarians and attendants. Research carried out in pet stores indicates microbiological contamination of the air through exposure to bioaerosols. The objective of this study was to analyze the presence of microorganisms in bioaerosols from a pet shop in Fernandópolis/SP. On days 21, 23 and 25/11/2022, air samples were collected by exposing Petri dishes containing culture media open for 30 min at 1.5 m from the floor, in the central part of the work room, before, during and after dog bathing, grooming and drying procedures. The plates were incubated at 37oC for 24-48h for the growth of bacteria and yeasts, after which Colony Forming Units - CFU were counted and identified using conventional biochemical methods. During the bathing and grooming of the animals, the microbial community in the air was quantitatively higher and qualitatively different from those at the beginning and end of the procedure, a fact that was repeated on the three days of analysis. The results indicated resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to the antibiotics Ceftazidine, Tobramycin, Penicillin, Oxacillin and Erythrominin greater than 80% and 100% sensitive to Amikacin. It was concluded that the bioaerosols from the evaluated pet shop present high contamination by microorganisms (Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus sp, Bacillus sp and Escherichia coli) produced mainly during bathing, grooming and drying of dogs, which raises concerns regarding the risk of disease transmission by these pathogens to the animals treated and to humans who are on site and in direct contact with the bioaerosols and work equipment.