Occurrence of Yeasts in Cloacae of Migratory Birds

Abstract

Several species of yeast have been reported as pathogens in humans based on increases in immunodeficiency syndromes and as a result of immunosuppressant chemotherapy in cancer treatment. Domestic and wild birds are known to act as carriers of human pathogenic fungi. To gain additional information on the yeasts present in the cloacae of some species of migratory birds, 421 wild birds (24.39% out of 1726 birds caught in Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria) were sampled with the permission of the local judicial authority. The state of conservation of the birds (i.e. post-mortem alterations, colour of the mucosae etc.), along with their age and sex were determined. Samples were collected directly from the cloacae and cultured, and colonies were identified in each positive sample. Yeasts were isolated from 15.7% of the animals sampled, with the highest percentage found in coots (Fulica atra -58.8%) and the lowest in quails (Coturnix coturnix -1.7%). A total of 131 isolates belonging to 15 species of yeast were identified. Rhodotorula rubra was the yeast with the highest number of isolates (28.2%), followed by Cryptococcus albidus (18.4%), Candida albicans (9.2%), Trichosporon cutaneum (8.4%), Candida guilliermondii (6.1%), Candida tropicalis (6.1%) and other species. The present study represents the first survey on the occurrence of yeasts in the cloacae of migratory birds. The prevalence and species of yeasts isolated is discussed on the basis of the ecology, diet, and habitat of the birds.

Filamentous Fungi Transported by Birds During Migration Across the Mediterranean Sea

“…Our results showed that 61.89 % of birds analyzed were positive for the presence of filamentous fungi, showing a higher percentage than that (10.93 %) reported by Cafarchia et al [4] who analyzed a similar number of birds (421). These results are probably due to different species of birds captured as well as the sampling sites.…”

“…In order to evaluate the contribution of birds to filamentous fungi dissemination through feces, only cloacae of birds were analyzed [4,7]. Cloacae were plugged with sterile cotton swabs and streaked onto malt extract agar (MEA) (Oxoid, Milan, Italy) supplemented with streptomycin sulfate (0.05 g/l) (Sigma-Aldrich, Milan, Italy).…”

“…Birds may play a defining role in long distance movement of microorganisms; for example, in the case of yeasts, it has been shown that insects may transport cells within approximately 10 km [9], while migratory birds are effective at longer distances [7]. So far, a few studies analyzed filamentous fungi associated with migratory birds [4,14], while bacteria and yeasts have been better investigated [4,6,7]. Thus, on the above considerations, the main objective of the present study was to analyze the filamentous fungi carried by birds at the moment of landing at their stop-over during spring (at Lampedusa and Ustica) and winter (at Linosa and Mazara del Vallo) migration in the Mediterranean.…”

Intraspecific Variation and Interspecific Differences in the Bacterial and Fungal Assemblages of Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and Great Tit (Parus major) Nests

“…Associations between wild birds and fungi are not well researched [12]. This is surprising as this study…”

“…However, few studies have been conducted on the microbial species associated with the nesting environment of free-living (nonaviary) passerines [4,38] and consequently understanding of variation in nest bacterial and fungal assemblages within and between species in this environment is limited [26,55]. Indeed, associations between wild birds and fungi in general are not well researched as the few microbial studies have been undertaken have typically focused on bacteria [12].…”