Isolation of Cryptococcus species including C. neoformans from cloaca of pigeons

Abstract

Upper digestive tract of the pigeon (Columba livia) is well known as a reservoir for different species of Cryptococcus, but lower portions are not so frequently studied. In the present study, we tested on selective media a total of 331 pigeon cloacal swabs; Cryptococcus spp. were recovered from 26 (7.85%). Cryptococcus uniguttulatus was isolated from 11 samples (3.32%), C. laurentii from six (1.81%), C. neoformans var. neoformans from six (1.81%) and C. albidus from three of them (0.91%). The results show the importance of pigeon in the cryptococcosis epidemiology as reservoir and carrier for C. neoformans var. neoformans, but also for other Cryptococcus species of increasing clinical interest.

Potentially pathogenic yeast isolated from the throat and cloaca of an Arctic colonial seabird: the little auk (Alle alle)

“…Three species that are known to cause serious health impact are particularly worthy of attention: (1) Cr. macerans causing cryptococcosis, one of the most serious, and usually fatal, diseases in birds (Rosario et al 2005), (2) Exophiala spinifera, which can induce opportunistic infections of skin and subcutaneous tissues of humans and other mammals (Kettlewell et al 1989;Harris et al 2009), (3) Candida albicans, which can cause candidosis of the alimentary, respiratory and reproductive systems and skin of birds (Buck 1983;Dynowska and Dynowski 1996;Buck and Chabasse 1998).…”

PRESENCIA DE Cryptococcus neoformans EN EXCRETAS DE PALOMAS URBANAS EN SAN MIGUEL DE TUCUMÁN - ARGENTINA

“…Nuestros resultados confirman los hallazgos de otros autores en el sentido que las excretas de palomas son una importante fuente ambiental y de diseminación de C. neoformans (Caicedo et al, 1996;Curo et al, 2005;Quintero et al, 2005;González-Acuña et al, 2007; et al, 2008), aunque sólo algunos estudios han encontrado C. neoformans en el cuerpo de estas aves (Rosario et al, 2005). La explicación podría deberse a varios factores tales como: la elevada temperatura interna corporal de las palomas (alrededor los 42ºC), que imposibilita el desarrollo de C. neoformans y a la microbiota bacteriana del contenido intestinal de palomas aparentemente sanas, que inhibe el desarrollo de este patógeno in vitro (Abou-Gabal, 1978).…”

“…(KwonChung et al, 2002(KwonChung et al, , 2006Heitman & Lin, 2006). Diversas investigaciones permitieron conocer los nichos ecoló-gicos del complejo C. neoformans, siendo aislado de heces de aves, de animales domésticos y salvajes, suelos y vegetales (Pal, 1984;Kielstein et al, 2000aKielstein et al, , 2000bLazera et al, 1996;Granados et al, 2005;Tampieri, 2006;Heitman & Lin, 2006;Rosario et al, 2005Rosario et al, , 2008.…”

Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) as a potential link in the epidemiological chain mycoses originating from water reservoirs

“…One of the most severe pathogens to man and other mammals is Cryptococcus neoformans, which is simultaneously a frequent commensal of birds, especially of pigeons (32) and galliforms (8,27,28). In the material originating from the analysed wild ducks, its presence was significant.…”