In the Hokkaido venison inspection project, veterinary inspectors examined 368 deer and found that 8 had
pulmonary abnormalities. The affected deer were captured and fed until they were slaughtered. In 7 of the 8
cases, the lesions were single or multiple firm nodules located in the lung parenchyma, and were histologically
characterized by a combination of caseous granuloma or caseous necrosis and intralesional
Aspergillus-like
fungi. In 3 of the 7 cases, the fungi were identified as
Aspergillus fumigatus using molecular biological
methods. Accordingly, the 7 deer were diagnosed with pulmonary aspergillosis. Based on its frequency
among the detected pulmonary lesions and the severity of the advanced cases, it was concluded that
aspergillosis is a significant lung disease in deer. Pulmonary aspergillosis lesions can be readily palpated
during manual inspections, and appropriate visceral examinations including palpation are necessary to
determine the health status of deer for venison.
View full abstract