Systemic mycosis in commercial broiler chicken flock

Systemic mycoses (fungal granulomas) were diagnosed in commercial broiler chickens of 4 week age. Clinically, birds showed respiratory distress with 7% mortality over a period of two weeks (2 to 4 week) with stunted growth. The gross lesions included nodules of varied sizes in lung, air sac and peritoneum in most cases, and liver, heart and diffuse enlargement of kidneys in few cases. Histopathological examination of these (lung, liver, kidney, etc.) organs revealed classical granuloma with central caseous necrosis, mononuclear cell infiltration, epithelioid cells, giant cells and fibrosis. Section of lungs, kidneys and liver stained with Periodic Acid Schiff stain revealed pink coloured fungal hyphae. The flock was successfully treated with copper sulphate.