Com base na grande incidência da espécie invasora de caramujo africano, Achatina fulica, na cidade de Araguaína, objetivamos investigar a relação existente entre as condições microbiológicas do caramujo e a ocorrência deste nas hortas domésticas na cidade. Foram seguidas metodologias laboratoriais na determinação de presença/ausência de microrganismos na superfície do caramujo, assim como de fungos filamentosos. Para complementar o trabalho foram entrevistados cento e um (101) ABSTRACT-Based on the high incidence of invasive species of the African snail, Achatina fulica, in Araguaína city, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the microbiological conditions of the snail and the occurrence of this in home gardens in the city. Laboratory methods were followed to determine the presence / absence of microorganisms at the snail´s surface, as well as filamentous fungi. In addition there were performed hundred and one (101) interviews to locals settled in nineteen sectors of Araguaína. The microbiological results from the snail surface analysis showed at least 1,2x105 CFU/g of heterotrophic bacteria, also were isolated fungi as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Trichophytone and Cryptococcus. In the survey interview, 86% of respondents reported a high incidence of snail in their homes during the rainy season and 50% of them informed they had some kind of home garden, on the other hand 85% are unawared of the diseases that could be transmitted by this snail. We conclude that there are high levels of microbial contamination on the snail surface, combined with the preference for domestic garden´s products, been unawared of risks that can be carried by the snail invasion, which indicate the need to improve the knowledge regarding the risks of A. fulica in the daily lives of the residents of Araguaína city, considering not only people´s health but also the productivity of small-scale agriculture. Index terms: Achatina fulica, análise microbiológica, canteiroCopyright: © 2015 JBFS all rights. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Financiamento: Os autores reportam que houve auxílio ou financiamento pelo Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPQ) com bolsa de iniciação científica.
Conflito de interesse:Os autores declaram que não há conflito de interesse.
Como referir esse documento (ABNT):MONTEIRO, L. R. L.; SILVA, F. L.; SILVA L. B. Condições microbiológicas e de ocorrência do caramujo terrestre africano na cidade de Araguaína no Estado do Tocantins. Journal of Bioenergy and Food Science, Macapá, v.2, n.4, p.234-238, out./dez., 2015. http://dx
