Multisystemic aspergillosis in turkeys

Abstract

A multisystemic aspergillosis in turkeys is reported. Five ailing turkey poults and 10 carcasses were presented with history of 27% mortality within three days after the onset of symptoms. The ailing birds showed dyspnoea, depression, rattling, diarrhoea, tremor and convulsion. In postmortem, there were numerous caseous yellow nodules in thoracic and abdominal sacs, lungs, intestine and brain grossly. Histopathological analysis of the affected organs displayed multifocal areas of necrosis with fungal hyphae, infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells and giant cells and fibrous tissue proliferation at the periphery of the nodules. Swabs from oral cavity of the ailing birds and lungs/airsacs from the dead carcasses yielded fungus Aspergillus fumigatus which was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Typical fungal hyphae and conidiophores were also demonstrated in the lungs, intestine and air sacs by Periodic acidschiff (PAS) staining technique. Examination of bedding material collected from the farm revealed presence of fungus, thus contaminated litter could be the cause for outbreak in this case.