Frequent occurrence of human-associated microsporidia in fecal droppings of urban pigeons in amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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.
Bart
Aldert
A
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. a.bart@amc.uva.nl
Wentink-Bonnema
Ellen M
EM
Heddema
Edou R
ER
Buijs
Jan
J
van Gool
Tom
T
D000818:Animals; D010856:Columbidae / Q000382:microbiology*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016819:Encephalitozoon / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021862:Enterocytozoon / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009426:Netherlands; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
D004271:DNA, Fungal