Introduction
Aspergillus species are filamentous fungi that are commonly found in soil, where they thrive as saprophytes and have the potential to opportunistically infect living hosts including plants, insects, birds and mammals.
Aspergillosis is an umbrella term covering a wide range of diseases from localised conditions to fatal disseminated infections of humans and various animals (Seyedmousavi et al. 2015). Aspergillus fumigatus is the most prevalent environmental Aspergillus species and the most common cause of aspergillosis in humans. However, cryptic species, specifically close molecular siblings of A. fumigatus, are being increasingly identified to cause disease in humans and animals and are frequently identified in respiratory aspergillosis of cats. In this chapter, we describe the fungal pathogens responsible for feline respiratory aspergillosis and review the epidemiology, pathology, host-pathogen interactions, clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment strategies and prognosis of these infections.15.2
More on the topic Introduction:
-
Veterinarian -