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

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) 2009-04, Vol.104 (5), p.1093-1099
• Main Authors: Majewska, Anna C., Graczyk, Thaddeus K., Słodkowicz-Kowalska, Anna, Tamang, Leena, Jędrzejewski, Szymon, Zduniak, Piotr, Solarczyk, Piotr, Nowosad, Andrzej, Nowosad, Piotr
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Aves; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Bird Diseases - parasitology; Birds; Cryptosporidiosis - parasitology; Cryptosporidiosis - transmission; Cryptosporidiosis - veterinary; Cryptosporidium parvum - isolation & purification; Environmental Microbiology; Feces - parasitology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Giardia lamblia - isolation & purification; Giardiasis - parasitology; Giardiasis - transmission; Giardiasis - veterinary; Humans; Immunology; Invertebrates; Medical Microbiology; Microbiology; Oocysts - cytology; Original Paper; Poland; Poultry; Poultry Diseases - parasitology; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-008-1293-9

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.