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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2008, p. 7056-7058, Vol. 74, No. 22
0099-2240/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01429-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Frequent Occurrence of Human-Associated Microsporidia in Fecal Droppings of Urban Pigeons in Amsterdam, The Netherlands{triangledown}

Aldert Bart,1* Ellen M. Wentink-Bonnema,1 Edou R. Heddema,1,3 Jan Buijs,2 and Tom van Gool1,4

Parasitology Section, Department of Medical Microbiology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,1 Cluster Environment and Public Health, Municipal Health Service, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,2 Department of Medical Microbiology, Maaslandziekenhuis, Sittard, The Netherlands,3 Department of Human Ecology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium4

Received 23 June 2008/ Accepted 14 September 2008

Human-associated microsporidia were frequently observed in fecal samples of 331 feral pigeons in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, obtained during high- and low-breeding periods. Thirty-six of 331 samples (11%) contained the human pathogens Enterocytozoon bieneusi (n = 18), Encephalitozoon hellem (n = 11), Encephalitozoon cuniculi (n = 6), and Encephalitozoon intestinalis (n = 1); 5 samples contained other microsporidia. Pigeon feces can be an important source of human microsporidian infection.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Parasitology Section, Dept. of Medical Microbiology, Room L1-106, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center, P.O. Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Phone: 31-20-5663189. Fax: 31-20-6979271. E-mail: a.bart{at}amc.uva.nl

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 19 September 2008.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, November 2008, p. 7056-7058, Vol. 74, No. 22
0099-2240/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01429-08
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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