Are all psittacine birds carriers of Cryptococcus neoformans?

Marietto-Gonçalves, Guilherme Augusto; Grandi, Fabrizio

doi:10.1590/s0074-02762011000600023

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated saprophytic fungus found worldwide in soil contaminated by bird excreta . It was first isolated in Italy from peach juice by Sanfelice in 1894 and soon after was documented as a human pathogen noted to sporadically infect immunocompetent hosts .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cryptococcus neoformans infection in malignancy

Schmalzle

Buchwald

Gilliam

et al. 2016

Mycoses

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Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic invasive fungal infection that is well described and easily recognised when it occurs as meningitis in HIV-infected persons. Malignancy and its treatment may also confer a higher risk of infection with Cryptococcus neoformans, but this association has not been as well described. A case of cryptococcosis in a cancer patient is presented, and all cases of coincident C. neoformans infection and malignancy in adults published in the literature in English between 1970 and 2014 are reviewed. Data from these cases were aggregated in order to describe the demographics, type of malignancy, site of infection, clinical manifestations, treatment and outcomes of cryptococcosis in patients with cancer. Haematologic malignancies accounted for 82% of cases, with lymphomas over-represented compared to US population data (66% vs. 53% respectively). Cryptococcosis was reported rarely in patients with solid tumours. Haematologic malignancy patients were more likely to have central nervous system (P < 0.001) or disseminated disease (P < 0.001), receive Amphotericin B as part of initial therapy (P = 0.023), and had higher reported mortality rates than those with solid tumours (P = 0.222). Providers should have heightened awareness of the possibility of cryptococcosis in patients with haematologic malignancy presenting with infection.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cryptococcus neoformans infection in malignancy

Schmalzle

Buchwald

Gilliam

et al. 2016

Mycoses

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“…Given that the patient strain came from an immunocompromised patient with cryptococcosis and the cockatoo strain came from bird excreta in the home of the patient, the inference was made that the human infection was a result of exposure to the bird as the point source of the infection ( 6 ). Although psittacine birds can develop cryptococcosis, their association with Cryptococcus neoformans is usually in the form of saprophytic growth in their excrement ( 31 ). However, the prior case report could not rule out the possibility that the patient had acquired the infection first and then infected the bird in some form, possibly through cough during a pulmonary phase of disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Similar evolutionary trajectories in an environmental Cryptococcus neoformans isolate after human and murine infection

Sephton-Clark

McConnell

Grossman

et al. 2023

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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A pet cockatoo was the suspected source of Cryptococcus neoformans recovered from an immunocompromised patient with cryptococcosis based on molecular analyses available in 2000. Here, we report whole genome sequence analysis of the clinical and cockatoo strains. Both are closely related MATα strains belonging to the VNII lineage, confirming that the human infection likely originated from pet bird exposure. The two strains differ by 61 single nucleotide polymorphisms, including eight nonsynonymous changes involving seven genes. To ascertain whether changes in these genes are selected for during mammalian infection, we passaged the cockatoo strain in mice. Remarkably, isolates obtained from mouse tissue possess a frameshift mutation in one of the seven genes altered in the human sample (LQVO5_000317), a gene predicted to encode an SWI–SNF chromatin-remodeling complex protein. In addition, both cockatoo and patient strains as well as mouse-passaged isolates obtained from brain tissue had a premature stop codon in a homologue of ZFC3 (LQVO5_004463), a predicted single-zinc finger containing protein, which is associated with larger capsules when deleted and reverted to a full-length protein in the mouse-passaged isolates obtained from lung tissue. The patient strain and mouse-passaged isolates show variability in virulence factors, with differences in capsule size, melanization, rates of nonlytic expulsion from macrophages, and amoeba predation resistance. Our results establish that environmental strains undergo genomic and phenotypic changes during mammalian passage, suggesting that animal virulence can be a mechanism for genetic change and that the genomes of clinical isolates may provide a readout of mutations acquired during infection.

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“…It has also been described that nutritional status influences bird susceptibility to various pathogens [ 69 ]. Finally, it has been shown that bird density, as well as the cage and environmental hygiene, play significant roles in the presence of microbial pathogens in bird feces and/or in the shedding of pathogens by animals [ 70 , 71 ]. Therefore, focusing on pigeons in urban areas (or on captive or pet birds) may lead to a lack of data on the non- neoformans /non gattii RCFC possible reservoirs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Search for Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii Complexes and Related Genera (Filobasidium, Holtermanniella, Naganishia, Papiliotrema, Solicoccozyma, Vishniacozyma) spp. Biotope: Two Years Surveillance of Wild Avian Fauna in Southern France

Bertout

Gouveia

Krasteva

et al. 2022

JoF

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Fungi belonging to the Cryptococcus genus and related genera (Filobasidium, Holtermanniella, Naganishia, Papiliotrema, Solicoccozyma, Vishniacozyma) are encapsulated yeasts found in either the environment or animal sources. However, the precise biotopes of most species remain poorly defined. To assess whether wild birds from southern France can carry or spread the most pathogenic species (i.e., species belonging to the C. neoformans and C. gattii complexes), as well as lesser-studied species (non-neoformans/gattii Cryptococcus and former Cryptococcus spp.), 669 birds belonging to 89 species received for care over a two-year period at the Centre de Protection de la Faune Sauvage of Villeveyrac (Bird Protection League nongovernmental organization (NGO) care center) were sampled. Samples were cultured, and Cryptococcus and former Cryptococcus yeasts were identified by PCR sequencing. The purpose was to evaluate whether there was any health risk to local populations or care personnel in aviaries and gather new data on the ecological niches of lesser-known species. One hundred and seven birds (16%) were found to be positive for at least one Cryptococcus or former Cryptococcus species. No yeasts belonging to the highly pathogenic C. neoformans or C. gattii complexes were isolated. However, diversity was notable, with 20 different Cryptococcus or former Cryptococcus species identified. Furthermore, most bird–yeast species associations found in this study have never been described before.

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Are all psittacine birds carriers of Cryptococcus neoformans?

Cited by 5 publications

References 6 publications

Cryptococcus neoformans infection in malignancy

Cryptococcus neoformans infection in malignancy

Similar evolutionary trajectories in an environmental Cryptococcus neoformans isolate after human and murine infection

Search for Cryptococcus neoformans/gattii Complexes and Related Genera (Filobasidium, Holtermanniella, Naganishia, Papiliotrema, Solicoccozyma, Vishniacozyma) spp. Biotope: Two Years Surveillance of Wild Avian Fauna in Southern France

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