The Pathogenicity of Aspergillus Fumigatus and Aspergillus Niger Isolated from Accumulated Poultry and Goat Droppings in Immuno-Competent Albino Mice

The pathogenicity of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger isolated from poultry and goat droppings in immuno competent albino mice was investigated. A total of 12 soil samples of both poultry and goat droppings were collected and screened for the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger using microbiological standard method. The pathogenicity of the isolates on immuno-competent albino mice were investigated by challenging the mice subcutaneously using 0.5 ml of the inoculum. All mice were kept under complete observation for four (4) weeks for pathological signs and symptoms, mortalities and gross morphological lesions of the internal organs were observed and recorded. The study revealed that the total mean plate count of Aspergillus fumigatus was higher than that of Aspergillus niger and also, there were significant pathological lesions among some organs of the infected mice after a pathological cross examination. Thus, the result of the examination shows that congestion, haemorrhage, air sacculitis, pericarditis, perihepatitis and hypertrophy were observed from the immuno-competent mice under study. The obvious pathological features of these fungi on immuno-competent albino mice shows invariably that they can pose a high level life-threatening infections in immuno-compromised individuals particularly farmers handling the animals. Thus, there is need for good healthy hygiene practices, maintenance of environmental sanitation and managing the environmental factors that supports the multiplication of these fungal infections.