Abstract
This is the first report on the isolation ofCryptococcus neoformans from pigeon droppings in China and their serotypes.C. neoformans colonies which produced brown colonies on caffeic acid-cornmeal agar were found in Twenty-five out of thirty-six samples of pigeon droppings. Fifty-one colonies randomly picked from the positive samples were identified asC. neoformans by a commercially available kit for carbon source assimilation test and Christensen's urea agar. Forty (78%) out of the 51 strains were serotyped as A and 11 (22%) as AD. At the same time, seventeen out of nineteen clinical isolates were serotyped as A and 2 as B. There are three findings in our results. One is that onlyC. neoformans var.neoformans strains could be isolated from pigeon droppings, although the varietygattii strains were found in the clinical isolates obtained in the same geographic site in China. The second is that serotype A strains were most frequently seen in natural and clinical materials in the southeast part of China, and serotype AD strains were isolated in pigeon droppings but not in clinical materials. The third is that the coexistence of serotype A and AD cells ofC. neoformans strains in same samples of pigeon droppings were observed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Rippon JW. Medical mycology: The pathogenic fungi and pathoenic actinomycetes, 2nd. ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 1982: 532–58.
Sugar AM. Overview:Cryptococcus neoformans in the patient with AIDS. Mycopathologia 1991; 114(3): 153–57.
Evans EE. The antigenic composition ofCryptococcus neoformans, I: Serologic classification by means of the capsular and agglutation reactions. J Immunol 1951; 67: 109–14.
Wilson DE, Bennett JE, Bailley JW. Serologic grouping ofCryptococcus neoformans. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1968; 127: 820–23.
Ikeda R, Shinoda T, Fukazawa Y, Kaufman L. Antigenic characterization ofCryptococcus neoformans serotypes and its application to serotyping of clinical isolates. J Clin Microbiol 1982; 16(1): 22–29.
Kwon-Chung KJ, Bennet JE, Theodore TS.Cryptococcus bacillisporus sp. nov serotype B-C ofCryptococcus neoformans. Int J System Bact 1978; 28: 616–20.
Kwon-Chung KJ, Polacheck I, Bennett JE. Improved diagnostic medium for separation ofCryptococcus neoformans var.neoformans (serotype A and D) andCryptococcus neoformans var.gattii (serotype B and C). J Clin Microbiol 1982; 15(2): 535–37.
Bennett JE, Kwon-Chung KJ, Dexter-Howard. Epidermiologic differences among serotypes ofCryptococcus neoformans. Am J Epide 1977; 195(6): 582–86.
Kwon-Chung KJ, Bennett JE. High prevalence ofCryptococcus neoformans var.gattii in tropical and subtropical regions. Zbl Bakt Hyg 1984; A257: 213–18.
Shadomy HJ, Wood-Helie S, Shadomy S, Dismukes WE, Chau RY, NIAID Mycoses Study Group. Biochemical serogrouping of clinical isolates ofCryptococcus neoformans. Dian Microbiol Infect Dis 1987; 6: 131–38.
Rozenbaum R, Rios-Goncalves AJ, Wanke B, Cainby MJ, Clemente H, Santos-Lazera MD, Fialho-Monteiro, Londero AT.Cryptococcus neoformans varieties as agents of cryptococcosis in Brazil. Mycopathologia 1992; 119: 133–36.
Li ZQ, Shao JZ, Liao WQ, Li SQ, Kong XT, Shie YH. A study on the serotypes of pathogenicCryptococcus neoformans strains in China. Chin J Med Lab Tech 1987; 10(6): 350–52.
Moore GS, Jaciow DM. Mycology for the Clinical Laboratory. Reston, VA: Reston Publishing Co, 1979: 283–300.
Kaufmann CS, Merz WG. Two rapid pigmentation tests for identification ofCryptococcus neoformans. J Clin Microbiol 1982; 15(2): 339–41.
Bulmer GS. Twenty-five years withCryptococcus neoformans. Mycopathologia 1990; 109: 111–22.
Ruiz A, Velez D, Fromtling RA. Isolation ofCryptococcus neoformans from Puertio Rico: Distribution and variety. Mycopathologia 1988; 106(3): 167–70.
Swinne D, Deppner M, Maniratunga S, Laroche R, Floch JJ, Kadende P. AIDS-associated cryptococosis in Bujenbura, Burundi: An epidemiological study. J Med and Veter Mycolo 1991; 29: 25–30.
Swinne-Desgain D.Cryptococcus neoformans in the crops of pigeons following its experimental administration. Sabouraudia 1976; 14: 313–57.
Abou-Gabal M and Atia M. Study of the role of pigeons in the dissemination ofCryptococcus neoformans in nature. Sabouraudia 1978; 16: 63–68.
Swinne D.Cryptococcus neoformans and the epidemiology of cryptococcosis. Ann Sco Belgium Med Trop 1979; 59: 285–99.
Ellis DH, Pfeiffer TJ. Natural habital ofCryptococcus neoformans var.gattii. J Clin Microbiol 1990; 28(7): 1642–44.
Pfeiffer TJ, Ellis DH. Environmental isolation ofCryptococcus neoformans var.gattii from California. JID 1991; 163: 929–930.
Ellis DH, Pfeiffer TJ. Life cycle and infectious propagule of Cryptococcus neoformans. Lancet 1990; 336: 923–25.
Kwon-Chunh KJ, Wickes BL, Stockman L, Robeter GD, Ellis DH, Howard DH. Virulence, serotype and molecular characteristics of environmental strains ofCryptococcus neoformans var.gatii. Infect and Immun 1992; 60(5): 1869–82.
Li AS, Wu SX. An urease negativeCryptococcus neoformans strain. Acta Microbiol Sinica 1992; 32(1): 68–71.
Ruane PJ, Walker LJ, George WL. Disseminated infection caused by urease-negativeCryptococcus neofornans. J Clin Microbiol 1988; 26(10): 2224–25.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ansheng, L., Nishimura, K., Taguchi, H. et al. The isolation ofCryptococcus neoformans from pigeon droppings and serotyping of naturally and clinically sourced isolates in China. Mycopathologia 124, 1–5 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01103049
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01103049