🦠 What Causes Aspergillosis?

• Main Organism: Aspergillus fumigatus, and less often A. flavus

• Where It Lives: Moldy litter, damp feed, bedding, compost, and dirty incubators

• How It Spreads: Chicks inhale spores from the environment—it’s not contagious bird to bird

• Egg Risk: Fungi can enter through cracked or dirty shells and contaminate hatchers

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🫁 What Are the Symptoms in Chicks?

Respiratory Signs:

• Gasping with open beak (but no sound)

• Fast, difficult breathing, wheezing

General Symptoms:

• Lethargy and drowsiness

• Weakness, poor growth, no appetite

• Increased thirst

Eye & Brain Involvement (rare):

• Cloudy or damaged eyes

• Rare signs: imbalance, wobbly walking, or twisting of the neck (torticollis)

⏳ Chicks under 3 days old are especially at risk for sudden death during outbreaks!

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🧫 What Will You See on Necropsy?

• Yellow-white nodules (granulomas) in lungs and air sacs

• Trachea or syrinx may be blocked, causing silent gasping

• In severe cases: lesions in eyes, brain, or other organs

• Tissues may show necrosis and inflammation

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🔬 How Do You Confirm It?

• Suspect it with sudden respiratory signs and chick deaths

• Necropsy: Look for nodules in lungs or air sacs

• Lab Tests: Fungal cultures, microscope exam, or histology confirm Aspergillus infection

• Advanced: Antigen tests or PCR in specialized labs

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🚫 Treatment Options Are Limited

• Antifungals (e.g. itraconazole or nystatin) may help individual birds, but not whole flocks

• Supportive care (fluids, oxygen, warmth) may help slightly, but prognosis is bad

• Culling: Often needed to remove severely affected birds and stop environmental contamination

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🧹 Prevention Is the Best Cure!

Clean Environment:

• Keep litter and bedding dry and clean

• Never use moldy feed or compost

• Ensure proper ventilation—especially in brooders

Hatchery Hygiene:

• Clean/disinfect incubators and trays regularly

• Don’t hatch dirty or cracked eggs

Biosecurity & Early Action:

• Isolate and remove sick chicks immediately

• Eliminate damp spots and mold sources in the brooder

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📌 Key Takeaways

• Aspergillosis is caused by breathing in mold spores, not bird-to-bird contact

• It causes severe lung damage, especially in newborn chicks

• Prevent with clean litter, dry feed, and hatchery hygiene—it’s your best defense!

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🛡️ Keep your brooder safe, dry, and mold-free—and your chicks will breathe easy!