REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND INVESTIGATIONS ON THE PREVALENCE AND CONSEQUENCES OF YEASTS IN REPTILES

Ninety-one reptiles were examined for the presence of yeasts by standa rd protocols and pathohistological methods, Yeasts were isolated from 42 of the animals. Representatives of herbivorous families (Testudinid ae and Iguanidae) carried yeasts more often than animals belonging to carnivorous taxa (Boidae and Emydidae), Yeasts were most often isolate d from the gastrointestinal tract, and in 24.6 per cent of cases they could be cultured from the oral cavity and/or cloaca of living animals . Postmortem examination revealed that the intestines of 80.6 per cent of the animals carried yeasts. In all, 56 isolates, belonging to the genera Candida (32), Trichosporon (11), Torulopsis (9) and Rhodotorula (3), and one perfect yeast were obtained, The species included taxa p otentially pathogenic to man. However, no sufficiently reliable criter ia could be established to prove that positive culture results were as sociated with disease. In the reptiles examined postmortem, three case s of dermatomycosis were detected histologically. No case of organ myc osis was identified.