Abstract :
The aim of this study was to characterize the yeast microbiota of natural cavities of manatees kept in captivity in Brazil. Sterile swabs from the oral cavity, nostrils, genital opening, and rectum of 50 Trichechus inunguis and 26 Trichechus manatus were collected. The samples were plated on Sabouraud agar with chloramphenicol and incubated at 25[degrees]C for 5 days. The yeasts isolated were phenotypically identified by biochemical and micromorphological tests. Overall, 141 strains were isolated, of which 112 were from T. inunguis (Candida albicans, Candida parapsuosis sensu stricto, Candida orthopsuosis, Candida metapsilosis, Candida guuliermondii, Candida pelliculosa, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, Candida famata, Candida krusei, Candida norvegensis, Candida ciferri, Trichosporon sp., Rhodotorula sp., Cryptococcus laurentii) and 29 were from T. manatus (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. famata, C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, Rhodotorula sp., Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Rhodotorula minuta, Trichosporon sp.). This was the first systematic study to investigate the importance of yeasts as components of the microbiota of sirenians, demonstrating the presence of potentially pathogenic species, which highlights the importance of maintaining adequate artificial conditions for the health of captive manatees. Keywords: colonization, sirenians, Candida spp., Trichosporon sp., Rhodotorula sp. L'objectif de la presente etude etait de caracteriser la microflore de levures de cavites naturelles de lamantins tenus en captivite au Bresil. On a effectue des prelevements par ecouvillonnage de la cavite orale, des narines, de l'orifice genital et du rectum de 50 Trichechus inunguis et de 26 Trichechus manatus. On a ensemence les echantillons sur des geloses Sabouraud avec chloramphenicol pour ensuite les incuber a 25[degrees]C pendant 5 jours. Les levures ainsi isolees ont ete identifiees phenotypiquement au moyen de tests biochimiques et micromorphologiques. Dans l'ensemble, 141 souches ont ete isolees, dont 112 issues de T. inunguis (Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto, Candida orthopsilosis, Candida metapsilosis, Candida guilliermondii, Candida pelliculosa, Candida tropicalis, Candida glabrata, Candida famata, Candida krusei, Candida norvegensis, Candida ciferri, Trichosporon sp., Rhodotorula sp., Cryptococcus laurentii) et 29 de T. manatus (C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. famata, C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, Rhodotorula sp., Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Rhodotorula minuta, Trichosporon sp.). Il s'agit de la premiere etude systematique examinant l'importance des levures a titre d'elements de la microflore de Sireniens, laquelle demontre du coup la presence d'especes potentiellement pathogenes et met en evidence l'importance de maintenir des conditions artificielles propices a la bonne sante des lamantins en captivite. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: colonisation, sireniens, Candida spp., Trichosporon sp., Rhodotorula sp.