Giardia sp. Cysts and Infectious Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts in the Feces of Migratory Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis )

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
• Main Authors: Graczyk, Thaddeus K., Fayer, Ronald, Trout, James M., Lewis, Earl J., Farley, C. Austin, Sulaiman, Irshad, Lal, Altaf A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Microbiology 1998
• Subjects: Canada; Branta canadensis
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.64.7.2736-2738.1998; https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/AEM.64.7.2736-2738.1998

ABSTRACT Fecal droppings of migratory Canada geese, Branta canadensis , collected from nine sites near the Chesapeake Bay (Maryland), were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia spp. Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts were found in feces at seven of nine sites, and Giardia cysts were found at all nine sites. The oocysts from three sites were infectious for mice and molecularly identified as the zoonotic genotype of Cryptosporidium parvum . Waterfowl can disseminate infectious C. parvum oocysts in the environment.