Occurrence of Ventricular Candidiasis in a Lovebird (Agapornis fischeri)

A young Fisher's lovebird (Agapornis fischeri), showed clinical symptoms with general weakness, diarrhea, ruffled feathers and unilateral extrarhinoectasia and died finally. Gross necropsy revealed marked edema, congestion and hemorrhage on the distal part of the gizzard and proximal part of the duodenum. On microscopic examination, a large number of oval budding yeast-like fungi were observed in a stained smear sample from the gizzard and duodenum by the Giemsa method. Histopathologically, there was epithetlial necrosis in the proventriculus and gizzard and inflammation of the proximal intestine. The pseudohyphae and budding yeast-like organisms were most numerous on the surface and extended deep into the submucosa and muscularis layer. Severe hemorrhage, vasculitis with invasion of fungal organisms into the vessels' wall associated with infiltration of inflammatory cells were observed. The disease was diagnosed as candidiasis in the middle part of digestive tract.