Fungal isolation and identification from parrot excreta in northeast Iran: A threat to human health

BACKGROUND: One of the environmental sources of pathogenic fungi is parrot droppings. OBJECTIVES: Thus, this work aimed to investigate fungal contamination in parrots’ droppings. METHODS: Seventy‐nine parrot droppings including Cockatiel, Cockatoo, Green check conure, Love bird, Budgerigar, African grey parrot, Alexandrine parakeet, Amazon parrot, Yellow crown parakeet, and Macaw were sampled, and suspended 1:10 in saline solution and then 0.5 mL of supernatant was cultured. The fungi were identified by standard mycological techniques. RESULTS: Fungal contamination was detected in 66 samples (83.54%) out of 79 samples. Yeast and mould fungi were respectively isolated from 44 samples (55.69%) and 36 samples (45.56%) out of 79 samples. Overall 105 fungal isolates were isolated from parrot excreta. Cryptococcus neoformans (17.14%), Rhizopus spp. (10.47%), Rhodotorula spp. and Aspergillus niger (6.66%), and Penicillium spp. (5.71%) were the most fungi isolated from faecal samples. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence from this study suggests that the rate of fungal contamination in parrots’ excreta was high. Keeping parrots in the house and their close contact with humans can double the importance of these contaminations and provide the basis for the transmission of contamination to humans. Therefore, the accumulations of parrot faeces for long periods suggest a potential threat to public health.