Piotr Solarczyk

Microsporidian Species Known To Infect Humans Are Present in Aquatic Birds: Implications for Transmission via Water?

ABSTRACT Human microsporidiosis, a serious disease of immunocompetent and immunosuppressed people, can be due to zoonotic and environmental transmission of microsporidian spores. A survey utilizing conventional and molecular techniques for examining feces from 570 free-ranging, captive, and livestock birds demonstrated that 21 animals shed microsporidian spores of species known to infect humans, including Encephalitozoon hellem (20 birds; 3.5%) and Encephalitozoon intestinalis (1 bird; 0.2%). Of 11 avian species that shed E. hellem and E. intestinalis, 8 were aquatic birds (i.e., common waterfowl). The prevalence of microsporidian infections in waterfowl (8.6%) was significantly higher than the prevalence of microsporidian infections in other birds (1.1%) (P < 0.03); waterfowl fecal droppings contained significantly more spores (mean, 3.6 × 105 spores/g) than nonaquatic bird droppings contained (mean, 4.4 × 104 spores/g) (P < 0.003); and the presence of microsporidian spores of species known to infect humans in fecal samples was statistically associated with the aquatic status of the avian host (P < 0.001). We demonstrated that a single visit of a waterfowl flock can introduce into the surface water approximately 9.1 × 108 microsporidian spores of species known to infect humans. Our findings demonstrate that waterborne microsporidian spores of species that infect people can originate from common waterfowl, which usually occur in large numbers and have unlimited access to surface waters, including waters used for production of drinking water.

The role of free-ranging, captive, and domestic birds of Western Poland in environmental contamination with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and Giardia lamblia cysts

As Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia can be disseminated in the environment by avian hosts, a total of 499 fecal dropping from 308 free-ranging, 90 captive, and 101 domestic birds were tested by conventional, immunological, and molecular techniques for these human enteropathogens. Twenty-six (5.2%) tested positive for G. lamblia cysts and 19 (3.8%) for C. parvum oocysts. A bird total of 23 (7.5%) free-ranging, two (2.2%) captive, and one (0.1%) domestic tested positive for cysts, whereas 18 (5.8%) free-ranging, one (1.1%) captive, and zero livestock birds tested positive for oocysts. G. lamblia cysts and C. parvum oocysts were found significantly more frequently in fecal droppings of free-ranging aquatic birds than in birds not normally associated with water. No specimen tested positive for both pathogens simultaneously. Aquatic birds represent an important epidemiologic link in water-associated transmission cycles of Cryptosporidium and Giardia and play a significant role in environmental contamination of aquatic habitats with these anthropozoonotic pathogens.

Axenic in vitro culture and molecular characterization of Giardia duodenalis from red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Thomson’s gazelle (Gazella thomsonii)

Giardia duodenalis is an ubiquitous flagellate that infects humans and many species of animals. This species exhibits great biotypic and genetic diversity. In the present study, we established short- and long-term in vitro cultures of G. duodenalis trophozoites originating from red deer and Thomson’s gazelle (artiodactyls) and genetically characterised the isolates by their glutamate dehydrogenase and triose phosphate isomerase gene sequences. The G. duodenalis isolates from red deer and the gazelle represented assemblages A (AIII sub-assemblage) and B. In conclusion, G. duodenalis assemblages and sub-assemblages can be associated with differences in growth rate in vitro cultures.

Three new species of picobiine mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitising African flycatchers (Aves: Muscicapidae)

Three new species of quill mites of the subfamily Picobiinae Johnston & Kethley, 1973 (Acari: Syringophilidae) are described from African flycatchers (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae): Picobia cichladusa n. sp. on Cichladusa arquata Peters and P. myrmecocichla n. sp. on Myrmecocichla arnotti (Tristram), both from Tanzania, and P. echo n. sp. on Cossypha heuglini Hartlaub from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Trichinella spiralis in road-killed raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in western Poland.

Trichinellosis is still one of the most important food-borne parasitic zoonoses and is considered as a threat to public health worldwide. The aim of this study was to use genotyping techniques to determine the prevalence of Trichinella species in wild raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in western Poland. The infection rate in raccoon dogs was 0.8%. All infections were due to T. spiralis.

First record of Giardia assemblage D infection in farmed raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

The presence of Giardia genotypes was investigated in 18 raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and 80 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on one farm. To demonstrate Giardia cysts, fresh and trichrome stained smears were microscopically screened. Two molecular markers were used for Giardia genotyping: a fragment of the beta-giardin gene and a fragment of the glutamate dehydrogenase gene. All faecal samples obtained from red foxes were negative. Giardia cysts were identified only in 2 of the 18 raccoon dogs. The result of genotyping and phylogenetic analysis showed that the G. duodenalis from both raccoon dogs belonged to the D assemblage. This finding of a new animal reservoir of G. duodenalis canids-specific genotypes is important in order to eliminate the risk of infecting other animals bred for fur. Further molecular analyses of Giardia isolates in raccoon dogs are required. The present study represents the first contribution to knowledge of G. duodenalis genotypes in raccoon dogs.

A New Species and New Records of Syringophilid Mites (Acariformes: Prostigmata: Cheyletoidea) Associated with Aquatic Birds

Abstract. A new species, Stibarokris hydrobates sp. nov. is described from Hydrobates pelagicus (Linnaeus) (Procellariiformes: Hydrobatidae) from Malta. This species differs from other representatives of the genus Stibarokris Kethley, 1970 in the absence of the projection on the proximal end of the stylophore (vs. presence in all other species) and in the presence of the basal angles on tarsal claws I–IV (vs. absence). The following syringophilid species are recorded from new hosts of aquatic birds: Stibarokris phoeniconaias (Skoracki and OConnor, 2010) from Phoenicopterus chilensis Molina (Phoenicopteriformes: Phoenicopteridae) from South America, Stibarokris dastychi Glowska and Skoracki, 2011 from Phalacrocorax pygmeus Pallas (Suliformes: Phalacrocoracidae) from Greece, Procellariisyringophilus bulwerius Kethley, 1970 from Calonectris diomedea (Scopoli) (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae) from Spain and Ardenna pacifica (Gmelin) (Procellariidae) from Indonesia.

Presence of potential pathogenic genotypes of free-living amoebae isolated from sandboxes in children's playgrounds

Some free-living amoebae are a potential threat to human health. The best known species are those of the genus Acanthamoeba Volkonsky, 1931, which cause Acanthamoeba keratitis, granulomatous amoebic encephalitis and other forms of tissue inflammation. The aim of the present study was to search for potential pathogenic genotypes of free-living amoeba in the sand in childrens playgrounds. Our results confirmed that free-living amoebae were present in all examined playgrounds. Sequences of the 18S rDNA have shown that all isolated potentially pathogenic strains of amoebae belong to genotype T4 of Acanthamoeba. The potential pathogenicity of isolates was confirmed on mice. The presence of pathogenic amoebae in the examined sand may be a potential source of human infection.