Studies on clinical signs and haematological alterations in pneumonic aspergillosis due to Aspergillus flavus in Japanese quail

Abstract

Intratracheal inoculation of 2-week old quail chicks with Aspergillus flavus spores resulted in the development of clinical signs within 24 h of infection. These were characterized by dullness, depression, anorexia, accelerated breathing, gasping and prostration leading to death. These signs continued up to 7 days followed by considerable decrease in the intensity of the symptoms as well as number of birds showing clinical signs. Mortality occurred primarily in the first week with a majority of the birds dying from 2-4 days after infection. The overall mortality during a 6-week observation period was 25%. The average body weight of the infected chicks was slightly lower than that of controls; the difference being significant at 2, 3 and 42 days post-infection. There was no appreciable difference in the mean values of haemoglobin, packed cell volume and total erythrocyte count between the infected and control chicks at any stage of infection, but total leucocyte count revealed a significant increase (p less than 0.05) from 3-7 days post-infection. This was due to increase in the percentage of heterophils and decrease in lymphocytes.

Immunohistochemical detection of fungal elements in the tissues of goslings with pulmonary and systemic aspergillosis

“…Gross postmortem examination of the goslings showed variously sized yellowish-white nodules scattered throughout the lungs and within the air sacs, in accordance with observations made on other avian species (Hawkey et al, 1984;Reece et al, 1986;Ulloa et al, 1987;Bowes, 1990;Flach et al, 1990;Pandita et al, 1991;Machin et al, 1993). In some cases, a large portion of the lung lobes was obliterated by large coalesced granulomas, as observed previously in Stellar's jays (Machin et al, 1993), turkeys (Dyar et al, 1984) and chickens (Chaudhary and Singh, 1983).…”

“…It is most likely that the cause of death of the goslings was these pulmonary lesions. Likewise, it has been reported that the death of birds affected by aspergillosis was due to respiratory failure because of affection of a large portion of the lung parenchyma (Okoye and Okeke, 1986;Pandita et al, 1991).…”

“…In this study, all of the goslings investigated were found to have the respiratory lesions of aspergillosis, with involvement of the lungs and air sacs. However, there is a paucity of information on systemic aspergillosis in geese (Ulloa et al, 1987), as in other birds (Pal et al, 1989;Bowes, 1990;Pandita et al, 1991), although the disease has been documented in sheep (Perez et al, 1998), cattle and humans (Buckley et al, 1992). Our study found systemic aspergillosis in 7 cases, with distribution of the nodules to the serosal linings and parenchymal organs of the abdominal cavity, bursa of Fabricius and m. longus colli along with lesions in the lungs and air sacs.…”

“…Of all the fungal diseases, aspergillosis encompasses the broadest range of pathogenic mechanisms and clinical presentations, as Aspergillus species are common in the environment (Hawkey et al, 1984;Piérard et al, 1991;Machin et al, 1993;Singh et al, 1993). In birds, two major agents causing aspergillosis are Aspergillus fumigatus and A. flavus (Chute, 1965;Pandita et al, 1991;Richard, 1991), and two main types of the disease have been d escribed (Chute, 1965;Richard, 1991;Machin et al, 1993). In young avian species, aspergillosis commonly occurs in acute and severe form with high mortality and morbidity, whereas it is usually sporadic and chronic in adult birds (Chute, 1965;Flach et al, 1990;Richard, 1991;Machin et al, 1993).…”

Diagnostic Procedures and Available Techniques for the Diagnosis of Aspergillosis in Birds

“…Typical CBC results are a leucocytosis with heterophilia, lymphopenia, and monocytosis, and a non-regenerative anemia (depression anemia), especially in chronic disease cases. 17,[72][73][74] Therefore, a heterophilic leucocytosis may indicate a current infection and subsequent involvement of the bird's immune system, but one should always interpret hematology results in combination with clinical findings and other diagnostic test results. Additional hematologic testing will allow one to monitor the patient's treatment response.…”