Response of turkey poults to aerosolized spores of Aspergillus fumigatus and aflatoxigenic and nonaflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus [Aflatoxicosis]

Groups of 3-week-old turkey poults were exposed to aerosols containing spores of either Aspergillus fumigatus or aflatoxigenic or nonaflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus. Approximately 5 × 105spores of A. fumigatus/gm of lung tissue killed about 50% of the turkey poults with A. fumigatus, whe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Avian diseases 1981, Vol.25 (1), p.53-67
Main Authors: Richard, J. L., Cutlip, R. C., Thurston, J. R., Songer, J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aerosols
Aflatoxins
Aflatoxins - biosynthesis
Animals
Antibodies
Aspergillosis
Aspergillosis - pathology
Aspergillosis - veterinary
Aspergillus flavus - metabolism
Aspergillus fumigatus
Fungal spores
Granuloma
Lesions
Liver
Lung - pathology
Lungs
Poultry Diseases - etiology
Poultry Diseases - pathology
Poults
Retina - pathology
Spores, Fungal
Turkeys
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Description
Summary:Groups of 3-week-old turkey poults were exposed to aerosols containing spores of either Aspergillus fumigatus or aflatoxigenic or nonaflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus flavus. Approximately 5 × 105spores of A. fumigatus/gm of lung tissue killed about 50% of the turkey poults with A. fumigatus, whereas doses approximating this level with either of the A. flavus strains did not cause any mortalities for up to 8 weeks postexposure. Fungi were isolated from lung tissue of 60% of the birds surviving for 8 weeks after exposure to spores of A. fumigatus, but A. flavus was isolated from lung tissue from only 20% of the birds 8 weeks after exposure to either A. flavus strain. Almost all birds exposed to A. fumigatus developed precipitating antibodies, whereas none of the birds exposed to A. flavus developed precipitating antibodies. The lesions in the lung tissue from birds exposed to A. fumigatus were larger, were more numerous, and involved a greater percentage of tissue than was observed in lung tissue from birds exposed to A. flavus. There were no apparent differences in pathogenicity between the A. flavus strains. Aflatoxin was not detected in tissues from birds exposed to the aflatoxigenic strain of A. flavus, and there were no signs of aflatoxicosis when sections of liver from these birds were examined histopathologically.
ISSN:0005-2086
1938-4351
DOI:10.2307/1589826