Generalized aspergillosis in dairy sheep

Two cases of systemic aspergillosis are described in dairy sheep from a flo ck in which fungal mastitis appeared subsequent to the antibiotic treatment of animals before parturition. Lesions characterized by necrosis and a pyo granulomatous exudate were observed in the mammary glands, supramammary and mediastinal lymph nodes, kidneys, lung, liver, heart, forestomachs and bra in. The intense vasculitis with thrombosis observed in Various organs, but especially in the mammary glands, suggested a haematogenous dissemination o f the infection from this organ. The aetiological diagnosis mas accomplishe d by the immunohistochemical staining of the fungal structures seen in the histological sections by the specific Aspergillus monoclonal antibody Mab-W F-AF-1 together with the isolation of Aspergillus fumigatus in pure culture from affected tissues.