Disseminated pulmonary Aspergillosis in a quail flock in Iran

Aspergillosis is an important infectious fungal disease; caused the genus of Aspergillus that affects humans, mammals, and mainly wild or domestic birds. The following case report describes a clinical case of aspergillosis in a quail flock. A thousand flocks breeding quail originated from a hatchery located in Iran, in late spring, from the age of one week, have been encountered with breathing difficulties. The daily mortality of infected chicks was 20-30 chicks (total of 50%). The most prevalent clinical signs were respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea, open beak breathing, and increased respiration. Other clinical signs included depression, anorexia, decreasing weight, and in some stance cyanosis. The large number of white caseous nodules with an average diameter of 1-3 µm, often in the lungs and also in the liver, mesenteric intestine vessels, muscles of the chest, and heart were observed. Lungs, beak cavity, pharynx, and air sacs frequently consisted of the caseous nodules. The large numbers of germinating conidia centrally and hyphae extending peripherally through the layer of macrophages were found on the granulomas stained by Gomori’s methenamine silver. In some other tissue samples, conidiophores of A. fumigatus, and conidial heads were formed. Mycological examination of the postmortem samples demonstrated A. fumigatus. Poor husbandry, ventilation, sanitation were common conditions that predispose quails to aspergillosis in the present report.