MUCORMYCOSIS IN A 35-DAY-OLD ISA BROWN PULLET: A CASE REPORT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24843/JVAS.2026.v08.i02.p06Keywords:
Mucor circinelloides, immunosuppression, layer pulletAbstract
Mucormycosis is an opportunistic mycotic infection caused by fungi of the order Mucorales that primarily affects the respiratory system and can spread systemically in immunocompromised hosts, posing a significant threat to poultry production systems. This study aimed to investigate the cause of mortality in a 35-day-old ISA Brown layer pullet through a comprehensive clinicopathological and microbiological approach. Data were obtained through epidemiological investigation, necropsy, gross pathological and histopathological examinations, fungal and bacterial culture and identification, and parasitological examination, followed by descriptive qualitative analysis. Clinically, the affected chicken exhibited dyspnea, difficulty breathing, inability to stand, dull feathers, lethargy, reduced feed intake, and white diarrhea, with morbidity, mortality, and case fatality rates of 1.13%, 0.5%, and 44.44%, respectively. Poor housing sanitation, inadequate biosecurity, and open feed storage near a forest area were identified as important predisposing factors. Gross lesions consisted of white nodules in the lungs, air sacs, trachea, liver, and kidneys, while histopathology revealed non-septate fungal hyphae associated with pneumonia haemorrhagica et necroticans, giant cell formation, and inflammatory cell infiltration, indicating active fungal invasion with immune response. Lymphoid depletion of the bursa of Fabricius suggested concurrent Infectious Bursal Disease-associated immunosuppression. Fungal culture confirmed Mucor circinelloides and Rhizopus spp. as the primary etiological agents isolated from the lung, liver, and kidney, while Escherichia coli was isolated exclusively from the intestine, and Eimeria spp. oocysts (4,300 OPG) indicated a mild coccidial infection in the recovery phase. These findings confirm disseminated mucormycosis complicated by IBD-associated immunosuppression as the cause of mortality, driven largely by poor environmental management and biosecurity lapses. Therefore, proper housing management, hygienic feed storage, structured vaccination programs including IBD booster, and strict biosecurity measures are strongly recommended to prevent mucormycosis in poultry production systems.
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