Research Paper On Acute Aspergillosis

Aspergillosis is a fungal infection that can be acute or chronic and effects many domestic birds such as Pekin ducks. It occurs when the ducks inhale the aspergillus spores around them, that normally come from moulds in hay or grain. When ducks are infected with aspergillosis it normally effects the respiratory tract but it can infect any organ. Aspergillosis is normally found in the environment the ducks are living in, soil around them, and their grain. It tends to spread when the temperature and humidity is high. Some ways to prevent ducks from being infected with aspergillosis is to clean the ducks living area regularly, minimize amount of dust around ducks, don’t overcrowd the ducks, make sure food is not mouldy, and minimize giving the …show more content…
Effective antifungal antiseptic spray can be used to try to prevent fungal growth. When aspergillosis is acute, it is known as a fatal respiratory disease, and is normally seen in young, sick, or stressed ducks. Signs of acute aspergillosis disease are depression, difficulty breathing, lethargy, loss of appetite, increased thirst, cyanosis, abdominal enlargement and can result in sudden death. Chronic aspergillosis is more commonly seen than acute aspergillosis. Chronic aspergillosis is more commonly seen in adult ducks that have been on antibiotics and/or steroids, stressed ducks, and ducks that have/had a disease. Signs of chronic aspergillosis are reduced activity level, loss of appetite, change in behavior, and/or eating well but losing weight. If the chronic aspergillosis infects the air sacs some symptoms can be difficulty breathing, vocalization changes, tail-bobbing, breathing through mouth, and audible respiratory sounds. Acute aspergillosis has fast acting signs/symptoms while chronic aspergillosis won’t show signs or symptoms for a while. Since Aspergillosis has common symptoms to other illnesses, it can be a challenge to