Bioaerosols and their risks to environmental health in a pet shop

Abstract

Research carried out in pet stores has indicated microbiological contamination of the air through exposure to bioaerosols. This study aimed to analyze the presence of microorganisms in bioaerosols from a pet shop in Fernandópolis/SP. Air samples were collected on November 21, 23, and 25, 2022, by exposing Petri dishes containing culture media, open for 30 min at 1.5 m from the floor in the central part of the workroom, before, during, and after dog bathing, grooming, and drying procedures. The dishes were incubated at 37 °C for 24–48h for the growth of bacteria and yeasts, after which colony-forming units were counted and identified using conventional biochemical methods. The microbial community during the bathing and grooming of animals was quantitatively higher and qualitatively different from that at the beginning and end of the procedure, a fact that was repeated on the three days of analysis. The results indicated resistance of Staphylococcus aureus to the antibiotics ceftazidime, tobramycin, penicillin, oxacillin, and erythromycin higher than 80% and 100% sensitive to amikacin. Therefore, bioaerosols from the evaluated pet shop present high contamination by microorganisms (Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus sp., Bacillus sp., and Escherichia coli) produced mainly during bathing, grooming, and drying of dogs, which raises concerns regarding the risk of disease transmission by these pathogens to the animals and humans who are on site and under direct contact with bioaerosols and work equipment.