title: [Pigeons and other birds as a reservoir for Cryptococcus spp].
abstract: In the last 25 years, the cases of human and animal cryptococcosis have increased significantly. This is mostly due to the improvement in the survival of immunocompromised patients. The disease is frequently related to the exposure of this type of patients to avian droppings. Among birds, pigeon, Columba livia, is undoubtedly the most important reservoir for the Cryptococcus species. Nevertheless, the study of a large number of bird's species demonstrated that pigeons are not the only Cryptococcus spp. carriers. The suspicion of the birds being the source for the infection is now becoming a demonstrable fact thanks to the use of molecular typing methods. These methods allow the comparison between strains from birds to patients living around them, with high level of discrimination.
authors.affiliation: Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Veterinaria de Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
authors.forename: Inmaculada
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rosario
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Acosta
authors.forename: M Francisca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Colom
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000635:transmission; D001717:Birds / Q000382:microbiology*; D010856:Columbidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D011200:Poultry / Q000382:microbiology; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission; D013045:Species Specificity; D015047:Zoonoses