A Culture-Based Study of Micromycetes Isolated from the Urban Nests of Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in SW Poland
There are many positive relationships between micromycetes and birds: They can spread fungal spores, and fungi facilitate cavity woodpecker excavation by preparing and modifying excavation sites. In turn, bird nests are mainly a source of potentially zoopathogenic fungi. The Wrocław city centre host...
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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author | Rafał Ogórek Justyna Borzęcka Katarzyna Kłosińska Agata Piecuch Marcin Przymencki Klaudia Litwiniak Jakub Suchodolski |
author_facet | Rafał Ogórek Justyna Borzęcka Katarzyna Kłosińska Agata Piecuch Marcin Przymencki Klaudia Litwiniak Jakub Suchodolski |
author_sort | Rafał Ogórek |
collection | DOAJ |
description | There are many positive relationships between micromycetes and birds: They can spread fungal spores, and fungi facilitate cavity woodpecker excavation by preparing and modifying excavation sites. In turn, bird nests are mainly a source of potentially zoopathogenic fungi. The Wrocław city centre hosts the biggest grey heron breeding colony in Poland with at least 240 breeding birds pairs. To assess the possible public health risks associated with bird nests, the goal of the present study was to identify cultivable fungi present in the nests of grey herons (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in Wrocław. Additionally, attempts were made to determine whether the obtained species of fungi may pose a potential threat to animal health. Fungi were cultured at 23 and 37 ± 0.5 °C, and identified based on phenotypic and genotypic traits. Moreover, during routine inspection, visible fungal growth in some of the nests was found. Overall, 10 different fungal species were obtained in the study (<i>Alternaria alternata</i>, <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i>, <i>Botryotrichum piluliferum</i>, <i>Cladosporium cladosporioides</i>, <i>Epicoccum layuense</i>, <i>Mucor circinelloides</i>, <i>M.</i><i>hiemalis</i>, <i>Penicillium atramentosum</i>, <i>P.</i><i>coprophilum</i>, and <i>P.</i><i>griseofulvum</i>). They are both cosmopolitan species and a source of potential threat to humans, homoiothermous animals and plants. The greatest number of fungal species was obtained from the nest fragments with visible fungal growth incubated at 23 °C, and the least from western conifer seed bugs (<i>Leptoglossus occidentalis</i>) inhabiting the nests. The species such as <i>A. fumigatus</i>, <i>P. coprophilum</i>, and <i>P.</i><i>griseofulvum</i> can be directly related to the occurrence of visible fungal growth on plant fragments of grey heron’s nests. |
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spelling | doaj.art-320c82a879364a1497a846af2598922d2023-11-24T00:09:23ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-03-0112667610.3390/ani12060676A Culture-Based Study of Micromycetes Isolated from the Urban Nests of Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in SW PolandRafał Ogórek0Justyna Borzęcka1Katarzyna Kłosińska2Agata Piecuch3Marcin Przymencki4Klaudia Litwiniak5Jakub Suchodolski6Department of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, PolandIndependent Researchers, Poleska Street 37/17, 51-148 Wrocław, PolandIndependent Researchers, Poleska Street 37/17, 51-148 Wrocław, PolandDepartment of Mycology and Genetics, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego Street 63/77, 51-148 Wrocław, PolandThere are many positive relationships between micromycetes and birds: They can spread fungal spores, and fungi facilitate cavity woodpecker excavation by preparing and modifying excavation sites. In turn, bird nests are mainly a source of potentially zoopathogenic fungi. The Wrocław city centre hosts the biggest grey heron breeding colony in Poland with at least 240 breeding birds pairs. To assess the possible public health risks associated with bird nests, the goal of the present study was to identify cultivable fungi present in the nests of grey herons (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in Wrocław. Additionally, attempts were made to determine whether the obtained species of fungi may pose a potential threat to animal health. Fungi were cultured at 23 and 37 ± 0.5 °C, and identified based on phenotypic and genotypic traits. Moreover, during routine inspection, visible fungal growth in some of the nests was found. Overall, 10 different fungal species were obtained in the study (<i>Alternaria alternata</i>, <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i>, <i>Botryotrichum piluliferum</i>, <i>Cladosporium cladosporioides</i>, <i>Epicoccum layuense</i>, <i>Mucor circinelloides</i>, <i>M.</i><i>hiemalis</i>, <i>Penicillium atramentosum</i>, <i>P.</i><i>coprophilum</i>, and <i>P.</i><i>griseofulvum</i>). They are both cosmopolitan species and a source of potential threat to humans, homoiothermous animals and plants. The greatest number of fungal species was obtained from the nest fragments with visible fungal growth incubated at 23 °C, and the least from western conifer seed bugs (<i>Leptoglossus occidentalis</i>) inhabiting the nests. The species such as <i>A. fumigatus</i>, <i>P. coprophilum</i>, and <i>P.</i><i>griseofulvum</i> can be directly related to the occurrence of visible fungal growth on plant fragments of grey heron’s nests.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/6/676bird nestsurban areafungal communitieszoopathogenic fungi |
spellingShingle | Rafał Ogórek Justyna Borzęcka Katarzyna Kłosińska Agata Piecuch Marcin Przymencki Klaudia Litwiniak Jakub Suchodolski A Culture-Based Study of Micromycetes Isolated from the Urban Nests of Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in SW Poland Animals bird nests urban area fungal communities zoopathogenic fungi |
title | A Culture-Based Study of Micromycetes Isolated from the Urban Nests of Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in SW Poland |
title_full | A Culture-Based Study of Micromycetes Isolated from the Urban Nests of Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in SW Poland |
title_fullStr | A Culture-Based Study of Micromycetes Isolated from the Urban Nests of Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in SW Poland |
title_full_unstemmed | A Culture-Based Study of Micromycetes Isolated from the Urban Nests of Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in SW Poland |
title_short | A Culture-Based Study of Micromycetes Isolated from the Urban Nests of Grey Heron (<i>Ardea cinerea</i>) in SW Poland |
title_sort | culture based study of micromycetes isolated from the urban nests of grey heron i ardea cinerea i in sw poland |
topic | bird nests urban area fungal communities zoopathogenic fungi |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/6/676 |
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