JOURNÉES FRANCO-TUNISIENNES
DE PARASITOLOGIE
Tunis, 10-12 Novembre 2010
ISOLATION OF CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS VAR. NEOFORMANS FROM TWO OWLS (BUBO BUBO, LINNAEUS 1758) REARED IN CAPTIVITY
F. Agnetti1, I. Moretta2, S. Crotti1, L. Anzalone1.D. Sola1, R. Agostini3, F. Tonucci1, P. Danesi4, A. Moretti2
Quest'opera è stata rilasciata sotto la licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione-Non commerciale-Non opere derivate 2.5 Italia.
Per leggere una copia della licenza visita il sito web http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/it/ o spedisci una lettera a Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. Stampato a cura dell'Unità Operativa di Supporto Biblioteca, Informazione, Editoria (2010).
1Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche, Sez. di Pesaro;2Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Perugia; 3Asur Marche ZT2, Urbino;
4Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie
AIM
Domestic and wild birds are known to be carrier of human pathogenic fungi (Hubàlek, 2004, J. Wild. Dis., 40(4), 639-59). Among wild ones, birds of prey can carry pathogenic yeast, including Cryptococcus neoformans
(Cafarchia et al., 2006, Medical Mycology, 44(6), 485-92; Lugarini et al., 2008, Pesq. Vet. Brasil., 28(7), www.scielo.br). Purpose of this contribution was to describe the isolation of C. neoformans var. neoformans yeast from two owls (Bubo bubo, Linnaeus 1758) reared in a wild animals rehabilitation centre, located into a park of Pesaro-Urbino province (Central Italy).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
During January 2010, two owls were received for necropsy. The medical history reported a hospitalisation for traumatic injury of the wings, quite dyspnea and diarrhoea; during necropsy, samples of lung, liver and intestinal content were collected, in order to perform bacteriological and mycological exams. Sterile cotton swabs were smeared on the lungs and the intestinal content, inoculated onto
Sabouraud Dextrose agar and CAFC (Caffeic Acid Ferric Citrate) medium plates and incubated at 26°C ± 1 and at 37°C ± 1 for 30 days. Ye ast colonies developed were macroscopically examined and then identified from a biochemical point of view by API ID32C system (Biomerieux®). Those colonies classified as Cryptococcus by API system, were also characterised by a PCR protocol, according to Hennequin et al. (JCM, 1999, 3586-89) and Enache-Angoulvant et al. (JCM, 2007, 1261-65).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
At necropsy, anaemia, weight loss, congestion of the intestinal package (with fluid-haemorrhage content, several adult nematodes in the lumen and presence of haemorrhage spots on the mucosa), liver
degeneration and opacity of the dorsal air bags, were observed. The bacteriological exam from lungs and liver was positive for Mycoplasma spp. and
Salmonella spp., respectively. The mycological
investigation on lungs and intestinal content specimens was positive for yeast and molds; particularly, culture and biochemical tests showed the presence of the following fungi: C. albicans, C.
rugosa and Cryptococcus humicola. This last one
was subsequently classified as C. neoformans var.
neoformans by PCR method (Figure 1, 2, 3).
Although the medical history and the anatomo-pathological picture reported a traumatic injury and a bacteriological infection, results obtained also
showed the presence of C. neoformans in the two owls examined. This report contributes to confirm the role of birds of prey as carrier and diffusers of micro-organisms, including yeast pathogenic for humans and, from a diagnostic point of view, the greater diagnostic reliability of biomolecular techniques compared to biochemical tests. Further
investigations, both for environment than on other animals of the centre, will be conducted in order to make more targeted considerations.
Figure 2. Biochemical test by Api ID 32C system. Figure 1. Colonies of C. neoformans var.
neoformans on Sabouraud Dextrose agar.
Corresponding Author: Dr. Francesco Agnetti f.agnetti@izsum.it.
Figure 3. PCR for detection of C. neoformans var. neoformans. Lane 1, 5: 100-1200 bp DNA molecular size
markers; lane 2: sample; lane 3: positive control; lane 4: negative control (H2O).
The Authors are grateful to: Banca Popolare di Spoleto for its financial
support 1 2 3 4 5 Translation of the work presented at the Meeting:
JOURNÉES FRANCO –TUNISIENNES DE PARASITOLOGIE
References
1. Hubàlek, 2004, J. Wild. Dis., 40 (4), 639-59
2. Cafarchia et al, 2006, Medical Mycology, 44 (6), 485-92 3. Lugarini et al, 2008, Pesq Wet Brasil, 28 (7), www.scielo.br 4. Hennequin et al.,1999. JCM, 3586-89
