author(s)
N Pazhanivel, R Saahithya, M Thangapandiyan, Ganne Venkata Sudhakar Rao and K Sridhar

abstract
Aspergillosis is an acute fatal to chronic disease in birds. Tissues of lung and liver from 17 days old ostrich chicks submitted to the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Madras Veterinary College, Chennai – 7 for histopathological examination from Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, Chennai. History of sudden death and subsequent conduction of post-mortem examination was reported. Gross examination of the lung revealed multifocal grey white coloured nodules measuring about 0.5 cm to 3 cm diameter. Nodule extended deep into the parenchyma upon incision. Liver was pale in appearance. Histopathological examination revealed multiple granulomatous nodule with central caseo-necrotic areas surrounded by inflammatory cells predominantly lymphocytes, macrophages and heterophils in the lung. Multinucleated giant cells were seen. Fungal mycelia was seen with routine Haematoxylin and Eosin and special stain of Gomori’s Grocott silver stain (GG) which showed black colored fungal septate branching hyphae and was suggestive of Aspergillus spp. Liver showed congestion, micro vesicular to macro vesicular fatty degenerative changes. Based on the gross and histopathological examination, it was confirmed as Aspergillosis.