ABSTRACT:In the present work we study the prevalence of fungal flora in the tracheal epithelium of wild birds in a rehabilitation centre. Two hundred and sixteen birds representing 26 species from seven orders were sampled. Yeasts and moulds were isolated from 92 of the birds sampled (42.5%); in 24.5% only yeasts, in 12.5% only moulds and in 5.5% both moulds and yeasts together. The cattle egret was where the greatest number of animals with positive isolation was detected. The prevalence of yeasts shows significant differences between raptors and Ciconiiformes. Within the yeast flora, basically there were strains belonging to the genus Candida, mainly C. albicans. In the moulds, almost a half of them belonged to the genus Aspergillus.

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Toxic and nontoxic species of marine dinoflagellates were characterized using fluorescent lectins. Lectin binding was detected by epifluorescence as well as spectrofluorometry. The binding assay of fluorescent lectins readily differentiated between morphologically similar species (i.e the toxic dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum and the nontoxic Gymnodinium sp.). Lectins appear to be a useful tool to distinguish among different clones of the same species and, thus, possibly as a tool in dinoflagellate identification. Moreover, the lectins used show that thecate species have more binding sites and diversity in glycan moieties than athecate species.

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