%0 Journal Article
%T Aspergillus fumigatus in Poultry
%A Pascal Arn¨¦
%A Simon Thierry
%A Dongying Wang
%A Manjula Deville
%A Guillaume Le Loc'h
%A Ana£¿s Desoutter
%A Fran£¿oise F¨¦m¨¦nia
%A Ad¨¦la£¿de Nieguitsila
%A Weiyi Huang
%A Ren¨¦ Chermette
%A Jacques Guillot
%J International Journal of Microbiology
%D 2011
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2011/746356
%X Aspergillus fumigatus remains a major respiratory pathogen in birds. In poultry, infection by A. fumigatus may induce significant economic losses particularly in turkey production. A. fumigatus develops and sporulates easily in poor quality bedding or contaminated feedstuffs in indoor farm environments. Inadequate ventilation and dusty conditions increase the risk of bird exposure to aerosolized spores. Acute cases are seen in young animals following inhalation of spores, causing high morbidity and mortality. The chronic form affects older birds and looks more sporadic. The respiratory tract is the primary site of A. fumigatus development leading to severe respiratory distress and associated granulomatous airsacculitis and pneumonia. Treatments for infected poultry are nonexistent; therefore, prevention is the only way to protect poultry. Development of avian models of aspergillosis may improve our understanding of its pathogenesis, which remains poorly understood. 1. Introduction Aspergillus fumigatus is considered as a major respiratory pathogen in birds. This filamentous fungus was first found in the lungs of a bustard (Otis tarda) in 1863 by Fresenius. Other species like A. flavus, A. niger, A. nidulans, and A. terreus may also be isolated from avian cases of aspergillosis (sometimes in mixed infections) but much less frequently than A. fumigatus [1¨C6]. Active fungal proliferation and sporulation of A. fumigatus on organic material produce large amounts of airborne small-sized conidia that are easily dispersed in air, then potentially inhaled and deposited deep in the respiratory tract. Susceptible hosts will develop polymorphic clinical forms in relation to either localized or disseminated lesions. Acute aspergillosis generally occurs in young birds resulting in high morbidity and mortality. The chronic form is sporadic. It causes lesser mortality and generally affects older birds, especially breeders in poultry, presenting a compromised immune system due to poor husbandry conditions [4, 7]. A. fumigatus has been isolated from lesions in wild birds since the early 1800s. Major die-offs of free-ranging wild birds have been reported from waterfowl, gulls, and corvids following dumping of mouldy waste grains in areas where birds feed [6, 8¨C10]. Infection by A. fumigatus is also found in birds of prey, penguins, and parrots held in captivity [7, 11]. Incidence may be elevated in debilitated birds sheltered in wildlife centres and severely impair rehabilitation success [12, 13]. Infection by Aspergillus sp. has been reported in almost all domesticated
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijmicro/2011/746356/