Aspergillosis

Dr. Bikash Puri

 Introduction
• Fungal disease of poultry mainly affecting the
respiratory system. However sometimes the
infection may spread to other visceral organs also.
• It develops during brooder stage in chicks (below
10 days of age). Chicks below 3 days of age are
highly susceptible.

Etiology:
Aspergillus fumigatus
 Spread
• High moisture content of feed above 14% favours
the growth of fungi.
• Additionally, Litter may also favour its growth
• Aspergillus when inhaled in excess the disease
may become apparent.
• Immunosuppression and excessive use of
antibiotics makes the bird more susceptible to
disease.
• Transmission may also take place via
contaminated egg shell.
 Symptoms
• Dyspnea
• Depression
• Emaciation
• Loss of appetatie
• Increase thirst
• Mortality: 1-2% in chicks
 Lesions
• Lungs show almost uniformly raised pinhead sized
yellowish nodules

• Air sac is thick and cloudy showing yellowish plaques

• Presence of necrotic foci in liver, spleen, kidneys,

proventriculus and other organs

• Granulomatous lesion in brain, liver, heart respiratory

tract, spleen, proventriculus and kidneys.

• Blindness
uniformly raised pinhead sized yellowish
nodules in lungs
 Microscopic
• Section of lungs or air sacs having lesions show
granulomae, with or without caseation necrosis.
• Gaint cells are almost invariably found.
• Hyphae protuding through the ring of gaint cells.
 Diagnosis
• Clinical signs
• Pm findings
• Radiology/Endoscopy
• Histology: Demonstration of fungal hyphae
protuding from the gaint cells on staining with
PAS or fungal stain.