Abstract
Simple SummarySome diseases may be transmitted from animals to humans, and to prevent this, more studies on controlling infectious agents in animals are needed. We conducted an investigation among reproductive geese flocks to determine the presence of Blastocystis—a protozoan that may infect people and animals. The parasite was present in 46.5% of tested flocks, and there was no correlation between the bird’s age and flock size. Our conclusion is that geese could be the source of infections in humans who have contact with infected birds.Blastocystis is a unicellular, anaerobic protozoan that has a low specificity for the hosts, and it could be a zoonosis. There are not many data about the occurrence of Blastocystis in bird species, and this study aimed to check the prevalence of Blastocystis infection in reproductive geese flocks. The result obtained showed that a parasite was present in 46.5% of tested flocks. The extensiveness of the Blastocystis invasion in reproductive geese flocks was low because the genetic material of parasites was found only in 7.48% of samples. There was no correlation between the infection and the bird’s age or the flock size. The data obtained showed that geese could be the source of infections in humans who have contact with carriers of the infection.
Highlights
Blastocystis. is commonly located in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals and in birds, reptiles, and amphibians [1]
The parasite is a unicellular, anaerobic protozoan that has a low specificity for the hosts—it is transmitted between various species [2,3], mainly via the fecal–oral route due to polluted food and water [4]
Considering the lack of current data related to the occurrence of Blastocystis in geese and its zoonotic potential, this study aimed to define the level of occurrence for this protozoan in reproductive geese flocks, taking into account the birds’ ages and the flock size
Summary
Blastocystis. is commonly located in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals (including humans) and in birds, reptiles, and amphibians [1]. The Blastocystis infection symptoms in humans rarely occur. The controversy around the clinical potential of Blastocystis is grounded on a high rate of asymptomatic carriers and no certainty of whether the clinical symptoms of Blastocystis infection are related to a determined subtype, a number of subtypes, or colonization by a multitude of parasites [11]. There has been speculation recently that parasites have a positive effect on the intestine microbiota and ought to be deemed commensal [12]. This parasite affects human health, and its exact influence on the human condition is still unknown [13]
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