Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Dec 19;8(12):2037.
doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8122037.

Aspergillosis, Avian Species and the One Health Perspective: The Possible Importance of Birds in Azole Resistance

Aryse Martins Melo  1   2 , David A Stevens  3   4 , Lisa A Tell  5 , Cristina Veríssimo  2 , Raquel Sabino  2   6 , Melissa Orzechowski Xavier  1   7
Affiliations
Review

Aspergillosis, Avian Species and the One Health Perspective: The Possible Importance of Birds in Azole Resistance

Aryse Martins Melo et al. Microorganisms. .

Abstract

The One Health context considers health based on three pillars: humans, animals, and environment. This approach is a strong ally in the surveillance of infectious diseases and in the development of prevention strategies. Aspergillus spp. are fungi that fit substantially in this context, in view of their ubiquity, as well as their importance as plant pathogens, and potentially fatal pathogens for, particularly, humans and avian species. In addition, the emergence of azole resistance, mainly in Aspergillus fumigatus sensu stricto, and the proven role of fungicides widely used on crops, reinforces the need for a multidisciplinary approach to this problem. Avian species are involved in short and long distance travel between different types of landscapes, such as agricultural fields, natural environments and urban environments. Thus, birds can play an important role in the dispersion of Aspergillus, and of special concern, azole-resistant strains. In addition, some bird species are particularly susceptible to aspergillosis. Therefore, avian aspergillosis could be considered as an environmental health indicator. In this review, aspergillosis in humans and birds will be discussed, with focus on the presence of Aspergillus in the environment. We will relate these issues with the emergence of azole resistance on Aspergillus. These topics will be therefore considered and reviewed from the "One Health" perspective.

Keywords: Aspergillus; One Health context; avian aspergillosis; azole resistance; invasive aspergillosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representation of vegetative cycle of Aspergillus spp. and infection of human and avian hosts by inhalation of conidia.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Common lesions of pulmonary aspergillosis found in avian species A: White-yellow granulomas on air sac membranes from a Magellanic penguin that died during rehabilitation at the Center of Rehabilitation of Marine Animals, Brazil, B: Growth of fungal colonies of Aspergillus fumigatus on air sac membranes with evidence of substantial sporulation, from a free-ranging Magellanic penguin, found dead on Cassino beach, Rio Grande, Brazil.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Proposed role of avian species in the dispersion of azole-resistant Aspergillus fumigatus.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Simplified geographical examples of migratory routes of birds: In green, Sterna paradisaea; in brown, Zonotrichia albicollis; in yellow, Calidris canutus; in red, Cygnus cygnus; in blue, Platalea leucorodia. This figure was built based on information that is more detailed at https://www.birdlife.org.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The One Health scheme, demonstrating the implications for Aspergillus and aspergillosis, in the environment, in animal health (with emphasis on birds), and in human health.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Seyedmousavi S., Guillot J., Arné P., De Hoog G.S., Mouton J.W., Melchers W.J.G., Verweij P.E. Aspergillus and aspergillosis in wild and domestic animals: A global health concern with parallels to human disease. Med. Mycol. 2015;53:765–797. - PubMed
    1. Marr K.A., Patterson T., Denning D. Aspergillosis pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, and therapy. Infect. Dis. Clin. N. Am. 2002;16:875–894. - PubMed
    1. Engel T.G.P., Erren E., Vanden Driessche K.S.J., Melchers W.J.G., Reijers M.H., Merkus P., Verweij P.E. Aerosol transmission of Aspergillus fumigatus in cystic fibrosis patients in the Netherlands. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2019;25:797–799. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lemaire B., Normand A.-C., Forel J.-M., Cassir N., Piarroux R., Ranque S. Hospitalized patient as source of Aspergillus fumigatus. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2018;24:1524–1527. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cacciuttolo E., Rossi G., Nardoni S., Legrottaglie R., Mani P. Anatomopathological aspects of avian aspergillosis. Vet. Res. Commun. 2009;33:521–527. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources