Cryptosporidium spp. in Aratinga jandaia, Diopsittaca nobilis and Pionus menstruus in Brazil

Abstract

Background: Cryptosporidium is an important protozoan in public health and veterinary medicine that often causes diarrhea in an array of hosts in developed/developing countries. Infection of the gastrointestinal system is the most common, but the respiratory system and other sites can also be affected, especially in birds and immunocompromised individuals. Transmission occurs through ingestion or inhalation of oocysts. The number of wild animals, including those in the class of birds, infected with this parasite has grown in recent years. This study aimed to report parasitism by Cryptosporidium spp. in captive-raised birds of family Psittacidae at the Rio City Zoo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Materials, Methods & Results: Thirty-three pools of fecal samples of the species Amazona aestiva, Amazona amazonica, Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, Ara auricollis, Ara canga, Ara glaucogularis, Ara macao, Ara manilapa, Ara maracana, Ara rubrogenys, Aratinga erythrogenys, Aratinga cactorum, Aratinga auerea, Aratinga mitrata, Aratinga auricapilla, Aratinga jandaia, Aratinga wagleri, Aratinga leucophthalmus, Brotogeris acuticaudata, Cynoliseus patagonus, Caracopsis vasa, Diopsittaca nobilis, Graydidascalus brachyurus, Muopsitta monachus, Nangayus nenday, Pionites melancephala, Pionites leucogaster, Pionus menstruus, Pionus chalcopteus, Pionus maxiliani, Pyrrhura perlata, Pyrrhura leucotis, and Triclharia malachitacea, kept in separate enclosures, were analyzed using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for detection of parasitic antigens. Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was conducted in order to identify the species Cryptosporidium in the positive samples targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (SSU rRNA), followed by sequencing and analysis of the DNA amplicons. Cryptosporidium spp. antigen was detected in three (9%) of the thirtythree pools assessed, corresponding to the following species of family Psittacidae: Jandaya parakeet (Aratinga jandaya), Red-shouldered macaw (Diopsittaca nobilis), and Blue-headed parrot (Pionus menstruus). Positivity of the three samples was confirmed by qPCR analysis, but it was not possible to identify the species of Cryptosporidium by this technique.

Discussion: Zoonotic diseases, such as cryptosporidiosis, have been reported in wild and captive-bred animals worldwide. Several species of the class of birds are parasitized by Cryptosporidium spp. Infection in order Psittaciformes has been described in some species raised in captivity in Brazil; however, no reports of Cryptosporidium spp. infecting the following species of order Psittaciformes: Jandaya parakeet (Aratinga jandaia), Red-breasted macaw (Diopsittaca nobilis), and Blue-headed parrot (Pionus menstrus), were found in the specific scientific literature. The present study detected infection by Cryptosporidium spp. in three species of order Psittaciformes using ELISA and confirmed the positivity of the samples by qPCR, but the species of Cryptosporidium could not be identified. These infected birds should be carefully investigated, with identification of the species and analysis of their zoonotic potential, because they can be sources of environmental contamination and infection for the caregivers, visitors, and other animals of the Zoo. This is the first report of parasitism by Cryptosporidium spp. in these species of family Psittacidae in Brazil.