Occurrence of aspergillosis in Giriraja chicken from Aizawl, Mizoram

Abstract

An outbreak of respiratory tract affection with failure of antibiotic treatment was investigated in a backyard poultry farm of 100 Giriraja birds in the age group of 6–8 weeks from Aizawl (Mizoram). Twenty five birds showed the clinical signs of respiratory tract affection with increasing severity over a week. Aspergillus fumigatus was isolated and found to be the main etiological agent detected in 18 dead birds. On necropsy, white to yellow caseous nodules were observed in the lungs, air sacs, liver and kidneys. Histological sections of lungs revealed focal granulomatous reaction and thickening of air sac membranes due to heterophil and mononuclear infiltrations. Aspergillus hyphae invading the lung parenchyma were observed in lacto phenol cotton blue stained sections. Aspergillus fumigatus was isolated from the inoculations prepared from the suspensions of organs showing lesions. Therapeutic treatment with copper sulphate orally to the birds and replacement of litter material treated with copper sulphate responded rapidly with decrease in severity in clinical signs and suspended mortality.