Response of Turkey Poults to Aerosolized Spores of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aflatoxigenic and Nonaflatoxigenic Strains of Aspergillus flavus

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Abstract
Groups of 3 wk old turkey poults were exposed to aerosols containing spores of A. fumigatus or aflatoxigenic or nonaflatoxigenic strains of A. flavus. Approximately 5 .times. 105 spores of A. fumigatus/g of lung tissue killed .apprx. 50% of the turkey poults; doses approximating this level with either of the A. flavus strains did not cause any mortalities for up to 8 wk postexposure. Fungi were isolated from lung tissue of 60% of the birds surviving for 8 wk after exposure to spores of A. fumigatus, but A. flavus was isolated from lung tissue from only 20% of the birds 8 wk after exposure to either A. flavus strain. Almost all birds exposed to A. fumigatus developed precipitating antibodies; no bird exposed to A. flavus developed precipitating antibodies. The lesions in the lung tissue from birds exposed to A. fumigatus were larger, 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.

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