PRESENCE AND IDENTIFICATION OF YEASTS DETECTED BY ORAL AND CLOACAL SWABS IN CAPTIVE CHELONIA FROM CENTRAL ITALY.

Although tortoises and turtles are currently very popular pets, so far little is known about the fungal flora carried by these reptiles. The present study was carried out to detect and identify the yeast flora living in the oro-pharynx and cloaca of captive tortoises/turtles (n. 76), reared in Central Italy. Oral and cloacal samples, collected by sterile swabs, were cultured into Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and Sabouraud Chloramphenicol Cycloheximide Agar (26±1°C for 20 days); the identification of yeasts was performed by biochemical (API ID 32C systems) and molecularbiological tests (PCR). 71% of the oral and 59% of the cloacal swabs were positive for yeasts; Cryptococcus, Rhodotorula and Candida represent the most common genus identified. The obtained results are useful to clarify the epidemiology and the clinical impact of some yeasts in pet chelonians and to try to understand how they can potentially affect the health of their owners or keepers.