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In birds, aspergillosis (Aspergillosis: Introduction) is primarily bronchopulmonary, with dyspnea, gasping, and polypnea accompanied by somnolence, anorexia, and emaciation. Mycotic tracheitis has also been described. Torticollis and disturbances of equilibrium are seen when infection disseminates to the brain. Yellow nodules of varying size and consistency or plaque lesions are found in the respiratory passages, lungs, air
sacs, or membranes of body cavities. Fur-like growth of fungus may be found on the thickened walls of air sacs. Other species with bronchopulmonary aspergillosis may have nodular lesions in the lungs, or an acute pneumonia accompanied by serosanguineous fluid in the pleural cavity and a fibrinous pleuritis. |
| In ruminants, aspergillosis may be asymptomatic, appear in a bronchopulmonary form, cause mastitis, or cause placentitis and abortion. Mycotic pneumonia may be rapidly fatal. Signs include pyrexia; rapid, shallow, stertorous respiration; nasal discharge; and a moist cough. The lungs are firm, heavy, and mottled and do not collapse. In subacute to chronic mycotic pneumonia, the lungs contain multiple discrete granulomas, and the disease grossly resembles
tuberculosis (
Tuberculosis and Other Mycobacterial Infections: Introduction). |
| In the absence of pneumonia, infected cows generally have no signs except for abortion; a dead fetus is aborted at 6-9 mo gestation, and the fetal membranes are retained. Lesions are found in the uterus, fetal membranes, and often the fetal skin. In the uterus, the intercaruncular areas are grossly thickened, leathery, dark red to tan, and contain elevated or eroded foci covered by a yellow-gray adherent pseudomembrane. Maternal caruncles are dark red to brown, and the adherent
fetal cotyledons are markedly thickened. Cutaneous lesions in aborted fetuses consist of soft, red to gray, elevated, discrete foci that resemble ringworm. |
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In horses, epistaxis and dysphagia are common complications of gutturomycosis (see also
Guttural Pouch Mycosis). The infected guttural pouch is characterized by a necrotizing inflammation and is thickened, hemorrhagic, and covered by a friable pseudomembrane. Mycotic rhinitis characterized by dyspnea and nasal discharge has also been described. Aspergillosis can be a rapidly fatal disease associated with diffuse pulmonary invasion. In these cases, acute enteritis is often a predisposing factor. The colitis is thought to result in a profound neutropenia
that decreases the immunocompetence of the host, followed by the invasion of
Aspergillus
from disrupted intestinal mucosa. Locomotor and visual disturbances, including blindness, may occur when the infection spreads to the brain and optic nerve. |
| In dogs, aspergillosis is typically localized to the nasal cavity or paranasal sinuses and is usually caused by infection with
A
fumigatus
. Nasal aspergillosis is seen mainly in dolichocephalic breeds; it begins in the posterior region of the ventral maxilloturbinate with signs of lethargy, nasal pain, ulceration of the nares, sneezing, unilateral or bilateral sanguinopurulent nasal discharge, frontal sinus osteomyelitis, and epistaxis. Gross lesions vary considerably with site of infection, but the mucosa of the nasal and paranasal sinuses may be covered by a layer of gray-black necrotic material and
fungal growth. The mucosa and the underlying bone may be necrotic with loss of bone definition on radiographs.
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| Disseminated disease in dogs is seen most often in German Shepherds and usually involves
A
terreus
and
A
deflectus
. The clinical signs of disseminated aspergillosis may include lethargy, lameness, anorexia, weight loss, pyrexia, hematuria, urinary incontinence, generalized lymphadenopathy, and neurologic deficits. Lesions are frequently found in the kidneys, spleen, and vertebrae. Discospondylitis is common. |
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