title: Assessment of Aspergillus fumigatus burden in lungs of intratracheally-challenged turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) by quantitative PCR, galactomannan enzyme immunoassay, and quantitative culture.
abstract: Aspergillus fumigatus remains a major respiratory pathogen in birds and treatment is still difficult. We challenged different groups of few-day-old turkeys via intratracheal aerosolisation with increasing concentrations (10(5) up to 10(8)) of conidia using a MicroSprayer(®) device. The fungal burden was assessed by real-time PCR, galactomannan dosage, CFU counting and histopathological evaluation in order to provide a comparison of these results within each inoculum groups. Significant mortality, occurring in the first 96h after inoculation, was only observed at the highest inoculum dose. Culture counts, GM index and qPCR results on the one hand and inoculum size on the other hand appeared to be clearly correlated. The mean fungal burden detected by qPCR was 1.3log10 units higher than the mean values obtained by CFU measurement. The new model and the markers will be used to evaluate the efficacy of antifungal treatments that could be used in poultry farms.
authors.affiliation: Research group ENVA, UPEC Dynamyc, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UPE, Maisons-Alfort, France; Lilly France, Elanco, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
authors.forename: Elise
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Melloul
authors.affiliation: Research group ENVA, UPEC Dynamyc, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UPE, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thierry
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology, ANSES, LSA, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Benoit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cordonnier
authors.affiliation: Parasitology-Mycology-Tropical Medicine, CHRU, Université François-Rabelais, CEPR INSERM U1100/EA6305, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Desoubeaux
authors.affiliation: Parasitology-Mycology-Tropical Medicine, CHRU, Université François-Rabelais, CEPR INSERM U1100/EA6305, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chandenier
authors.affiliation: Lilly France, Elanco, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bostvironnois
authors.affiliation: Research group ENVA, UPEC Dynamyc, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UPE, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Botterel
authors.affiliation: Research group ENVA, UPEC Dynamyc, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UPE, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chermette
authors.affiliation: Research group ENVA, UPEC Dynamyc, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UPE, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guillot
authors.affiliation: Research group ENVA, UPEC Dynamyc, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, UPE, Maisons-Alfort, France. Electronic address: parne@vet-alfort.fr.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arné
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols; D000818:Animals; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000662:veterinary*; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D005690:Galactose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008351:Mannans / Q000032:analysis; D011201:Poultry Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014422:Turkeys / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D008351:Mannans; C012990:galactomannan; D005690:Galactose
keywords: Aspergillosis; Aspergillus fumigatus; Culture; Galactomannan; Lung; Model; Real-time PCR; Turkey