This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Haro, M.
Right arrow Articles by del Águila, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Haro, M.
Right arrow Articles by del Águila, C.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Haro, M.
Right arrow Articles by del Águila, C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2005, p. 3153-3157, Vol. 71, No. 6
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.6.3153-3157.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

First Detection and Genotyping of Human-Associated Microsporidia in Pigeons from Urban Parks

M. Haro,1 F. Izquierdo,2 N. Henriques-Gil,1 I. Andrés,2 F. Alonso,3 S. Fenoy,2 and C. del Águila2*

Laboratorio de Genética,1 Laboratorio de Parasitología, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain,2 Departamento de Patología Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain3

Received 6 July 2004/ Accepted 29 December 2004

Microsporidia are ubiquitous opportunistic parasites in nature infecting all animal phyla, and the zoonotic potential of this parasitosis is under discussion. Fecal samples from 124 pigeons from seven parks of Murcia (Spain) were analyzed. Thirty-six of them (29.0%) showed structures compatible with microsporidia spores by staining methods. The DNA isolated from 26 fecal samples (20.9%) of microsporidia-positive pigeons was amplified with specific primers for the four most frequent human microsporidia. Twelve pigeons were positive for only Enterocytozoon bieneusi (9.7%), 5 for Encephalitozoon intestinalis (4%), and one for Encephalitozoon hellem (0.8%). Coinfections were detected in eight additional pigeons: E. bieneusi and E. hellem were detected in six animals (4.8%); E. bieneusi was associated with E. intestinalis in one case (0.8%); and E. hellem and E. intestinalis coexisted in one pigeon. No positive samples for Encephalitozoon cuniculi were detected. The internally transcribed spacer genotype could be completed for one E. hellem-positive pigeon; the result was identical to the genotype A1 previously characterized in an E. hellem Spanish strain of human origin. To our knowledge, this is the first time that human-related microsporidia have been identified in urban park pigeons. Moreover, we can conclude that there is no barrier to microsporidia transmission between park pigeons and humans for E. intestinalis and E. hellem. This study is of environmental and sanitary interest, because children and elderly people constitute the main visitors of parks and they are populations at risk for microsporidiosis. It should also contribute to the better design of appropriate prophylactic measures for populations at risk for opportunistic infections.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Facultad de Farmacia, Urbanización Montepríncipe, 28668 Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain. Phone: 34.91.372.47.21/84. Fax: 34.91.351.04.96. E-mail: cagupue{at}ceu.es.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2005, p. 3153-3157, Vol. 71, No. 6
0099-2240/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.71.6.3153-3157.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Bart, A., Wentink-Bonnema, E. M., Heddema, E. R., Buijs, J., van Gool, T. (2008). Frequent Occurrence of Human-Associated Microsporidia in Fecal Droppings of Urban Pigeons in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 7056-7058 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cama, V. A., Pearson, J., Cabrera, L., Pacheco, L., Gilman, R., Meyer, S., Ortega, Y., Xiao, L. (2007). Transmission of Enterocytozoon bieneusi between a Child and Guinea Pigs. J. Clin. Microbiol. 45: 2708-2710 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Graczyk, T. K., Sunderland, D., Rule, A. M., da Silva, A. J., Moura, I. N. S., Tamang, L., Girouard, A. S., Schwab, K. J., Breysse, P. N. (2007). Urban Feral Pigeons (Columba livia) as a Source for Air- and Waterborne Contamination with Enterocytozoon bieneusi Spores. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 4357-4358 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lobo, M. L., Xiao, L., Cama, V., Magalhaes, N., Antunes, F., Matos, O. (2006). Identification of Potentially Human-Pathogenic Enterocytozoon bieneusi Genotypes in Various Birds. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 7380-7382 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Slodkowicz-Kowalska, A., Graczyk, T. K., Tamang, L., Jedrzejewski, S., Nowosad, A., Zduniak, P., Solarczyk, P., Girouard, A. S., Majewska, A. C. (2006). Microsporidian Species Known To Infect Humans Are Present in Aquatic Birds: Implications for Transmission via Water?. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 4540-4544 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»