The objective was to investigate the frequency of Salmonella spp. in Amazonian manatees
(Trichechus inunguis) kept in captivity at the Robin C. Best Aquatic Park located at the National
Research Institute of the Amazon (LMA / Inpa). For this, analyzes were performed on fecal
samples and rectal swab from 34 animals of different age groups, being nine adults, 12 puppies
and 13 juveniles; in total 14 females and 20 males. The methodological process was carried out
to fully characterize the strains, by isolating colonies characteristic of Salmonella spp .;
identification of morphotintorial characteristics by Gram stain; identification of isolates
according to the typical biochemical behavior of Salmonella spp. Triple Iron Sugar Agar (TSI),
Iron Lysine Agar (LIA), Hydrogen Sulfide, Indole and Motility Agar (SIM) and Simmons
Citrate Agar (CIT); confirmation of the isolates using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
technique; characterization of the sensitivity profile against the antimicrobial agents
tetracyclines (30μg), ampicillin (10μg), gentamicin (10μg), cefoxitin (30μg), amoxicillin
(30μg), ciprofloxacin (5μg), penicillin (10μg) and azithromycin (15μg); previous serotyping,
carried out by slide agglutination tests, with specific antisera for Salmonella spp. and genetic
isolation to confirm serotypes. The results of the comparison between the two collection
methods were analyzed by Fisher's exact test using the GraphPad InStat program version 3.10.
Of the eleven strains isolated through microbiological cultivation and biochemical
characterization, nine showed positive results in PCR, confirming the positivity of three
animals. The isolates came from samples collected from two young females and one juvenile
female. Corresponding to a frequency of 16.6% in puppies and 7.7% in juveniles. The largest
number of isolates was obtained from stool samples, however, due to the low number of positive
samples, there was no significant difference between the two collection methods according to
Fisher's exact test. According to the antibiogram, the isolated strains showed higher rates of
efficacy for the use of tetracycline, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin. The strains were identified
as Salmonella enterica subsp. salamae serotype II 42: r: - and Salmonella enterica subsp.
enterica serotype Javiana. This being the first report of the occurrence of these serotypes in
Amazonian manatees and the first report of Salmonella spp. in live sirenians.
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