Studies on enteric bacterias in the lower amazon region: II. Salmonella types isolated from wild reptiles in Pará State, Brazil

Abstract

A study was made of the occurence of Salmonella types in wild lizards and snakes trapped on a newly opened plateau of the Carajás Mountains, Pará State, North Brazil.. S. javiana was recovered from the intestÍne of 1 of 2 specimens of the iguanid lizard Uranoscodan superciliasa and from 1 of 5 snakes (Leimadaphis almadensis, Colubridae). S. oraniemburg, S. soestberg and a new type Sub-Genus IV.43 :ZZ9: -, were obtained as single isolations from 3 separate specimens out of 16 iguanid lizards; Tropidurus tarquatus. S. marina was isolated from 2 further specimens of T. torquatus. A double infection by S. oraniemburg and S. madelia was found in 1 of 2 teiid lizards, Ameiva a. ameiva. The view is expressed that reptiles might represent primitive natural hosts of many well known SalmoneUa types, which live as commensals or symbionts in these cold-blooded hosts. These bacterias mar cause disease when transfered to man or other unacustomed hosts.