Occurrence of Aspergillus spp. in Parrot Feeds on the Polish Market: The Potential Health Threat of Aspergillosis and Mycotoxicosis for Exotic Pet Birds, a Pilot Study.
Aleksandra Kornelia Maj, Piotr Górecki, Olga Szaluś-Jordanow, Dawid Jańczak
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
A lack of awareness among exotic bird owners regarding the quality of feed may contribute to adverse health outcomes, including toxicosis, systemic mycoses, and potentially neoplastic processes. Fungi of the Aspergillus genus are the most pathogenic to avian species, particularly due to their involvement in respiratory diseases such as aspergillosis, which affects the air sacs. This study aims to assess the presence of Aspergillus spp. in commercially available parrot feed (grain mixtures) available on the Polish pet market, considering different price categories. A total of 22 dry parrot food samples were analyzed using the PN-ISO 21527-2:2009 protocol. Aspergillus spp. colonies were isolated from 16 out of 22 samples (72.7%), indicating a high incidence of contamination. Although these results are preliminary, they highlight a microbiological risk associated with grain-based parrot feeds and underscore the need for stricter quality control and greater awareness among pet owners and manufacturers.
期刊介绍:
Veterinary Sciences is an international and interdisciplinary scholarly open access journal. It publishes original that are relevant to any field of veterinary sciences, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, disorder and injury in animals. This journal covers almost all topics related to animal health and veterinary medicine. Research fields of interest include but are not limited to: anaesthesiology anatomy bacteriology biochemistry cardiology dentistry dermatology embryology endocrinology epidemiology genetics histology immunology microbiology molecular biology mycology neurobiology oncology ophthalmology parasitology pathology pharmacology physiology radiology surgery theriogenology toxicology virology.