206 INFECTIONS CAUSED BY MOLDS 



9. Lane, C. G., A cutaneous disease caused by a new fungus {Phialophora 

 verrucosa), J. Cutaneous Dis., 33, 840 (1915). 



10. Medlar, E. M., A new fungus, Phialophora verrucosa, pathogenic for man, 



Mycologia, 7, 200 (1915). 



11. Pedroso, a., and J. M. Gomes, Sobre quatro casos de dermatite verrucosa 



produzida pela Phialophora verrucosa, Ann. paulistas vied, cirurgia, 9, 

 53 (1920). 



12. Weidman, F. D., and L. H. Rosenthal, Chromoblastomycosis ; a new and 



important blastomycosis in North America, Arch. Dermatol. Syphilol. 

 (Chicago), 43, 62 (1941). 



ASPERGILLOSIS 



Aspergillus fumigatus is an important pathogen, especially for 

 birds. One of the earliest definite records of mycotic infection in 

 animals concerns aspergillosis of the air sacs in birds. The disease is 

 common enough in domesticated birds, pigeons, chickens, and ducks 

 to be of some economic importance. Under the name brooder pneu- 

 monia it sometimes occurs in epidemic form in little chicks. Autopsies 

 of wild birds found dead have revealed many cases in all orders of 

 birds, not only seed eaters, but also insect-eating birds and aquatic 

 species. Fox,^ * in autopsies at the Philadelphia Zoological Garden, 

 found cases in practically all the groups of birds, the disease being 

 responsible for death in from 0.6 per cent of the cases (pigeons) to 

 40 per cent of the cases (penguins). The fungus is also known to 

 invade birds' eggs during incubation and to infect the embryos. 



Three types of infection occur in birds: infection of the air sacs, a 

 pneumonic form in the lungs, and a nodular form in the lungs. The 

 first type is a superficial infection of the epithelium lining the air 

 sacs, which may pass into the wings or into the abdominal cavity. 

 The wall of the sac becomes much thickened, a thick mat of my- 

 celium covers its surface, and spores usually develop, so that the 

 inner surface of the sac wall has a green color. In the pneumonic 

 form a diffuse infiltrative lesion develops, the lung tissue is con- 

 solidated, and it has a grayish white color. In the nodular form, 

 isolated masses of infiltrated tissues occur, with necrosis in the center, 

 much resembling advanced tubercles in their gross appearance. In 

 those lesions developing in internal tissues not freely exposed to the 

 air no spores develop. 



The disease in domestic birds, especially when it occurs in epidemic 

 form, can usually be traced to feeding moldy grain. It may be due 

 to damp quarters in which straw or other material has become moldy. 



* Literature citations for this section will be found on page 210. 



