Prevalencia de “cryptococcus hominis” en heces de palomas mediante cultivo microbiológico en la ciudad de Pasaje.

Abstract

Cryptococcosis is a disease caused by a fungus primarily found in pigeons, which serve as carriers and vectors. This fungus is distributed globally and spreads when pigeon droppings dry up and release spores that can be inhaled by mammals, mainly affecting the lungs. It is not a serious disease for healthy individuals. This research aims to verify the presence or absence of *Cryptococcus hominis* or *neoformans* distributed in the city of Pasaje. Samples of feces were collected from different locations in the city and analyzed through microbiological culture at the Technical University of Machala. The presence of *Cryptococcus hominis* was confirmed in one of the samples, indicating that the city of Pasaje does have the mycosis, though it is not widely distributed, as only one sample tested positive out of all those collected. It is recommended to take proper precautions, especially for people and animals with autoimmune diseases, as they can be compromised by this opportunistic mycosis, which can be fatal if not treated in time.