Perec-Matysiak Agnieszka, Wesołowska Maria, Leśniańska Kinga, Buńkowska-Gawlik Katarzyna, Hildebrand Joanna, Kicia Marta
Department of Parasitology, Institute of Genetics and Microbiology, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 63/77, Wrocław, 51-148, Poland.
Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Wrocław Medical University, J. Mikulicza-Radeckiego 9, Wrocław, 50-367, Poland.
J Eukaryot Microbiol. 2017 Sep;64(5):721-724. doi: 10.1111/jeu.12402. Epub 2017 Mar 10.
Microsporidia are opportunistic pathogens in nature infecting all animal phyla. There is a potential risk of microsporidian spores transmission from urban rooks inhabiting some metropolitan cities to people through casual interactions. The aim of this study was to identify microsporidia species in the droppings of rooks in Wroclaw, Poland. A total of 15 collective sets of droppings were examined using nested-PCR method. Amplification of ITS rRNA gene revealed the presence of Enterocytozoon bieneusi D, Peru 6, and Encephalitozoon hellem 1A genotypes. This study indicates that excreta of urban rooks can be an important source of human infection with these pathogens.
