Identification of yeasts isolated from birds on the island of Gran Canaria.

Abstract

We want to highlight the role played by wild birds as carriers of pathogens with an impact on public health, since they interact closely with humans and can act as carriers and reservoirs of various zoonotic pathogens (Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp., Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp.). Due to this health risk, birds, especially pigeons (Columba livia), and especially their excreta, represent a greater danger for immunocompromised patients, since these patients and these birds often share spaces such as squares and hospitals, among other places. In addition, an increase in resistance to antifungals has been observed, a problem that is aggravated by the role that wild birds can play in the dispersal of these fungi. In addition, climate change contributes to the spread of fungi, which may alter the epidemiology of these diseases and their response to antifungals. As a result, we are witnessing the emergence of new fungal diseases that may adversely affect not only public health but also agricultural productions and wildlife diversity. This integral connection between the health of plants, animals, humans and the environment gives this context a “One Health” approach. In this work we set out to identify yeast fungi with an impact on health and ecosystems. To carry out this study we used 25 strains obtained from red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) and pigeon (Columba livia) cloaca from different municipalities of the island of Gran Canaria. These strains were identified by API ID32C and MALDI-TOF, and the identification results obtained were compared. The results obtained showed that red partridges are carriers of yeasts with an impact on public health, such as Candida Krusei (4%) and Candida parapsilosis (4%), which could pose a health risk to hunters when eviscerating the birds. The most isolated yeast in pigeons was Kazachstania (11), Zygosaccharomyces (9) and Cryptococcus humicola (2) (MALDI-TOF/API), it would be necessary to perform PCR to discern between the two, since Kazachstania is an important sanitary risk