Avaliação da microbiota bacteriana vaginal e uterina e sua relação com o ciclo estral em fêmeas equinas.

Abstract

During the natural mount or Artificial Insemination (AI), some vaginal microbiota bacteria can be transferred into the uterus. This may be the main reason of uterine infections that has been recognized as the main cause of low fertility in mares. The present work is aimed to evaluate the reproductive microbiota tract of mares in the different phases of estrous cycle, determining the microorganisms present in the vagina and uterus. During the study, 20 mares were used in which vaginal and uterine content samples were collected in duplicate with swabs. Microbiological culture assays were performed to identify the microorganism present. The results obtained indicated that 43% of the animals in estrus had Escherichia coli in the womb. There was also a prevalence of Escherichia coli in 60% of the mares in diestrus. The mares that were in proestrus, 40% had the presence of Aeromonas hidrophyla. In other hand for the animals that were in anestrus, Staphylococcus sp occurred in 40% of cases. In the vaginal contents samples of the mares in estrus, 43% had the presence of Escherichia coli. The same microorganism also prevailed in 50% of females in diestro. However, the five mares that were in proestrus, there was a presence of Klebsiella pneumoniae in 33% of them, whereas Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated in 40% of the samples in anestrus mares. Pathogenic bacteria were found in the womb and in the vagina of mares that were in reproductive activity. It can be concluded that, in some cases, microrganisms present in the uterus were not isolated in the same mare vagina, indicating that the contamination does not occurs always ascendant. Further studies with a larger number of mares subjected to different types of management must be developed in order to deepen the knowledge of how this contamination occurs.