Browsing by Author "Calle Alulima, Erika Patricia"

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    Identificación de las bacterias presentes en las uñas de gatos domésticos y comparación según su estilo de vida
    (Universidad de Cuenca. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, 2026-02-11) Arias Espinoza, María José; Calle Alulima, Erika Patricia; Patiño Márquez, José Luis
    Domestic cats (Felis catus) maintain close contact with humans and their environment, making them potential reservoirs and vectors of bacteria of veterinary and zoonotic importance. Due to their contact with the skin, oral cavity, environment, and grooming behavior, feline nails are a relevant structure for studying the bacterial microbiota associated with different lifestyles. The aim of this study was to compare the bacteria present in the nails of domestic cats according to their lifestyle (indoor and outdoor), evaluating bacterial diversity, the frequency of the main bacterial genera isolated, and antimicrobial resistance profiles. A descriptive comparative cross-sectional study was conducted with 66 domestic cats, distributed equally according to their habitat. Samples were collected by nail swabbing and processed using microbiological cultures (blood agar, salted mannitol agar, and MacConkey agar) and disc diffusion susceptibility tests against six antibiotics. Statistical analysis included nonparametric tests and Fisher's exact test. Statistical analysis revealed that access to the outdoors significantly increases bacterial species richness (p = 0.004) due to exposure to environmental factors; however, the structure of the microbial community (Shannon and Simpson indices) did not show significant variations between groups. Staphylococcus spp. was identified as the predominant genus in both populations, with no statistical difference in the prevalence of enterobacteria such as Escherichia coli or Salmonella spp. Regarding antimicrobial resistance, no significant differences associated with lifestyle were found (p > 0.05), with an overall prevalence of multidrug resistance of 27.7%. The results indicated that, although cats with outdoor access have a more diverse nail microbiota, the risk of carrying multidrug resistant bacteria is independent of confinement, suggesting that selective antibiotic pressure and zoonotic risk are present in both domestic and outdoor environments.