Molecular identity and prevalence of Cryptococcus spp. nasal carriage in asymptomatic feral cats in Italy

Abstract

Cryptococcosis is a life-threatening fungal disease that infects humans and animals worldwide. Inhalation of fungal particles from an environmental source can cause primary infection of the respiratory system. As animals can be considered a sentinel for human diseases, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and molecular identity of Cryptococcus spp. in the nasal cavity of feral cats. Cats from 162 urban and rural feral cat colonies were sampled over 3 years. Of 766 cats from which nasal swabs were obtained, Cryptococcus spp. were recovered from 95 (12.6%), including 37 C. magnus (4.8%), 16 C. albidus (2.0%), 15 C. carnescens (1.9%), 12 C. neoformans (1.6%), as well as C. oeirensis (n = 3), C. victoriae (n = 3), C. albidosimilis (n = 2), Filobasidium globisporum (n = 2), C. adeliensis (n = 1), C. flavescens (n = 1), C. dimnae (n = 1), C. saitoi (n = 1), and C. wieringae (n = 1) with prevalence <1%. Thirteen Cryptococcus species were identified by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of internal transcribed spacer amplicons. Statistical analysis did not identify any predisposing factors that contributed to nasal colonization (eg, sex, age, season, or habitat). Results suggest that asymptomatic feral cats may carry C. neoformans and other Cryptococcus species in their sinonasal cavity. Genotyping of the specific cryptococcal isolates provides a better understanding of the epidemiology of these yeasts.

Small circular single stranded DNA viral genomes in unexplained cases of human encephalitis, diarrhea, and in untreated sewage

“…The three gemyCV-positive CSF samples were negative for fungal DNA while one of five gemyCV-negative CSF samples was positive. Sequence analysis of the amplicon indicated the presence of Cryptococcus victoriae DNA, a widely distributed fungal species (Danesi et al, 2014; Gallardo et al, 2014; Montes et al, 1999). …”

Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and M13 PCR fingerprinting revealed heterogeneity amongstCryptococcusspecies obtained from Italian veterinary isolates

“…Cryptococcus isolates included in this study were collected from the nasal cavity of asymptomatic cats as previously described (Danesi et al ., ), from cloaca or oropharynx of birds during West Nile virus surveillance (2010–2012 – north of Italy). Three C .…”

“…neoformans isolated from lymph node cryptococcosis in cats (2) and a dog (1) were obtained during diagnostic activity at the Laboratory of Parasitolgy, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVE), Legnaro, Padua, Italy. Cryptococcus neoformans ( n = 17), C. adeliensis ( n = 2), C. albidus ( n = 12), C. aureus ( n = 2), C. carnescens ( n = 12), C. laurentii ( n = 4), C. magnus ( n = 20) and C. uniguttulatus ( n = 14) were identified to the species level by sequence analysis of the internal transcribe spacer (ITS) region of the rDNA gene cluster, as previously reported (Danesi et al ., ). All isolates are maintained in glycerol at −80 °C in the culture collections of the Laboratory of Parasitolgy, IZSVE, Legnaro, Padua, Italy and the Molecular Mycology Research Laboratory at the University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, Australia.…”

“…Cryptococcus isolates included in this study were collected from the nasal cavity of asymptomatic cats as previously described (Danesi et al, 2014), from cloaca or oropharynx of birds during West Nile virus surveillance (2010-2012north of Italy). Three C. neoformans isolated from lymph node cryptococcosis in cats (2) and a dog (1) were obtained during diagnostic activity at the Laboratory of Parasitolgy, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVE), Legnaro, Padua, Italy.…”

It's not all about us: evolution and maintenance ofCryptococcusvirulence requires selection outside the human host

“…An important trait that is not easily explained by the identified abiotic pressures or biotic interactions is the ability of Cryptococcus to evade the human adaptive immune system (May et al, 2016). Although no vertebrate animal host has emerged as a significant (nor requisite) component of the cryptococcal life cycle, Cryptococcus has been isolated from an ever-increasing range of animals, including koala (Connolly et al, 1999), dogs and cats (Danesi et al, 2014;Malik et al, 1997;Sykes et al, 2010), ferrets (Morera et al, 2014), squirrels (Iatta et al, 2015), foxes (Staib et al, 1985) and even dolphins (Miller et al, 2002;Rotstein et al, 2010). Whether contact with these or other organisms is frequent enough to act as a biotic selective agent for the traits required for human infection remains unknown.…”