title: The role of free-ranging, captive, and domestic birds of Western Poland in environmental contamination with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts and Giardia lamblia cysts.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Faculty Medicine I, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Majewska
authors.forename: Thaddeus K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Graczyk
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Słodkowicz-Kowalska
authors.forename: Leena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tamang
authors.forename: Szymon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jedrzejewski
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zduniak
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Solarczyk
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nowosad
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nowosad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D001717:Birds; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D033661:Oocysts / Q000166:cytology; D011044:Poland; D011200:Poultry; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*