A Case Report of Pulmonary Aspergillosis in an Adult Ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Aspergillosis is an infectious systemic mycotic disease characterized by respiratory system lesions in birds. This report briefs the pathomorphological findings and molecular studies of aspergillosis in a male adult ostrich in Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Park, Lucknow. The clinical signs exhibited by the succumbed bird were anorexia, dullness and sluggish movement before death. Detailed necropsy examination revealed multiple greenish yellow caseo-necrotic nodules in both the surface and inside the parenchyma of the lungs and air sacs along with vascular changes in other visceral organs. Microscopically, multiple granulomas characterised by caseation and necrotic debris in the centre with disintegrated fungal elements surrounded by inflammatory cells including few giant cells were noticed. Isolation and molecular techniques confirmed the infection due to Aspergillus fumigatus in the lung and air sac samples. Based on the pathomorphology, culture isolation and PCR, the disease was diagnosed as chronic pulmonary aspergillosis in ostrich.