Zygomycotic proventriculitis and ventriculitis in ostriches (Struthio camelus) with impaction

Abstract

Three young ostriches (Struthio camelus), aged 4 months, were found to have zygomycotic proventriculitis and ventriculitis associated with impaction. Clinical signs were anorexia, chronic weight loss, weakness and lethargy followed by scant faeces for seven days. Proventriculi and ventriculi from birds were full of masses of hay, grass, leaves and other fibrous materials in combination with sand, gravel and plastic. Erosions and haemorrhagic ulcers of varying number and severity were present in the mucosae of both organs involved. Mucosal lesions were characterized by haemorrhagic necrosis. Throughout the affected mucosae there were 5 to 12 microns wide rarely-septated fungal hyphae with non-parallel walls, irregular branching and occasional globoid distentions, typical of Zygomycetes. Zygomycotic proventriculitis and ventriculitis secondary to impaction was diagnosed.

Bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections in the ostrich (Struthio camelus var. domesticus)

“…Necropsy is needed to diagnose the infection that is usually associated with non‐specific clinical signs. Gulbahar et al . (2000) reports three four‐month‐old ostriches with zygomycotic proventriculitis and ventriculus associated with impaction.…”

Necrotising ventriculitis due to combined infection with Rhizopus microsporus var. chinensis and Candida krusei in an eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus)

“…were suspected as a cause of an outbreak of infection in a London human paediatric referral hospital. 15 Focal zygomycotic lesions from unidentified fungal species have been reported in the stomach of ostriches as the cause of ulcers and gastric impactions 16,17 but, as far as we are aware, this is the first report of acute transmural necrotising ventriculitis associated with Rhizopus spp. infection and one of only a few cases in parrots of alimentary tract zygomycosis confirmed by cytological and histological examinations, fungal culture and identification.…”

“…15 Focal zygomycotic lesions from unidentified fungal species have been reported in the stomach of ostriches as the cause of ulcers and gastric impactions 16,17 but, as far as we are aware, this is the first report of acute transmural necrotising ventriculitis associated with Rhizopus spp. The potential sources of infection with zygomycetes are broad and it is noteworthy that wooden spatulae colonised with Rhizopus spp.…”

Aspergilose em avestruz (Struthio camelus) no Brasil

“…A zigomicose em avestruz tem sido associada a proventriculite e ventriculite com impactação (PERELMAN & KUTTIN, 1992b;JEFFREY, et al, 1994;GULBAHAR et al, 2000). Além da distribuição das lesões, que são geralmente pulmonares no caso da aspergilose e predominantemente digestivas no caso da zigomicose, a morfologia dos agentes permite sua diferenciação.…”