Aspergillus and aspergilloses in wild and domestic animals: a global health concern with parallels to human disease.

The research article presents a detailed review of Aspergillus infections and the resultant diseases in both domestic and wild animals, demonstrating its global health significance by drawing comparisons with human diseases related to the same fungal species.

Overview of Aspergillus and Aspergillosis

• The study focuses on Aspergillus, a type of fungus, and the diseases it causes, collectively known as aspergilloses. These diseases impact humans as well as a broad span of animal and bird species, both wild and domesticated.
• The researchers highlight that the significance of aspergillosis in various creatures, including humans, has been on the rise in recent years.
• Aspergillus species are pervasive worldwide, causing diseases ranging from localized infections to widespread and potentially fatal conditions. The fungi are also known to provoke allergic responses due to the inhalation of their spores, or conidia.

Prevalent Forms of Animal Aspergillosis

• The article identifies several widespread forms of aspergillosis in different animals. These include invasive lethal infections in sea fan corals, a condition called ‘stonebrood mummification’ in honey bees, infections of the lungs and air sac in birds, and cases of mycotic abortion and infections in the mammary gland of cattle.
• In horses, a disease known as guttural pouch mycoses is a prevalent form of aspergillosis. Aspergillus species also cause sinonasal infections in dogs and cats, and invasive infections in the lungs and brains of marine mammals and nonhuman primates.

Comprehensive Overview of Aspergillus-Associated Diseases

• The main contribution of the paper is the comprehensive review it offers on the most common infections caused by Aspergillus species and the corresponding diseases in various animal types.
• Presenting a global health perspective, the article emphasizes the parallels between Aspergillus-related diseases in animals and similar conditions in humans, underscoring the extensive impact of this fungal species.