Urban Feral Pigeons (Columba livia) as a Source for Air- and Waterborne Contamination with Enterocytozon bieneuse Spores

• Published in: Applied and environmental microbiology Vol. 73; no. 13; p. 4357
• Main Authors: Graczyk, Thaddeus K, Sunderland, Deirdre, Rule, Ana M, da Silva, Alexandre J, Moura, Iaci NS, Tamang, Leena, Girouard, Autumn S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01-07-2007
• ISSN: 0099-2240

Role of urban feral pigeons as a source for air and waterborne contamination with Enterocytozoon bieneusi spores was studied. The zoonotic transmission of Enterocytozoon bieneusi remained a possibility, as this species infected a wide range of mammals and birds. The spore transmission from feral pigeons to people occurred through the occupational exposure or casual interaction between the pigeons and the human populations residing in metropolitan cities. The study site was a surface depression on the flat, tar paper covered roof of a three floor townhouse in Baltimore, MD. Water and guano samples were gravity sedimented over night at 4 degree C and 50 ml top layer was collected into sterile plastic tube and was centrifuged. The results indicated the presence of potentially viable E. bieneusi spores in water, guano and air samples, which were detected by multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization assays. PCR amplification confirmed the presence of E. bieneusi DNA among DNA extracted from spores in water and air samples.