Abstract
ABSTRACT
Introduction
Klebsiella
spp. are opportunistic enterobacteria associated with a wide range of infections in humans and animals and are increasingly recognized as important pathogens due to their ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance. Captive wildlife populations, including non‐human primates, may serve as carriers of these bacteria and are susceptible to bacterial outbreaks under certain management and environmental conditions. This study aimed to describe the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of Klebsiella spp. isolated from clinically healthy captive night monkeys (
Aotus nancymaae
) housed at the IVITA–Iquitos breeding center in the Peruvian Amazon.
Materials and Methods
A total of 86 clinically healthy night monkeys were sampled. Rectal swabs were collected for bacterial isolation and identification. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Associations between bacterial isolation and demographic variables were evaluated.
Results
Klebsiella
spp. were isolated from 10.5% (9/86) of the animals. The frequency of isolation was highest among juveniles, followed by infants and adults, with a significant association between age group and bacterial isolation (
p
Discussion
The results indicate a low frequency of antimicrobial resistance among
Klebsiella
spp. isolates recovered from clinically healthy captive night monkeys. These findings provide baseline information on the occurrence of
Klebsiella
spp. and antimicrobial susceptibility in this population. Continued microbiological surveillance is recommended to support preventive health management and facilitate the early detection of changes in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in captive neotropical primates.