Definition

1. Noun:
   • A disease, especially in agricultural workers, caused by inhaling spores of the Aspergillus fungus: This can lead to lumps forming in the skin, ears, and respiratory organs.
   • An opportunistic infection by a fungus of the genus Aspergillus: This infection is characterized by inflammation and lesions, often in the ear and other organs.
   • A severe respiratory disease in birds: This form is an acute, rapidly fatal pneumonia, particularly in young chickens and turkeys.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Farmers are at risk of developing aspergillosis from moldy hay.
  • The patient's compromised immune system led to a serious case of aspergillosis.
  • An outbreak of aspergillosis devastated the poultry farm.

Advanced Usage

• Invasive aspergillosis: A severe, often systemic form of the infection that spreads through the bloodstream to various organs, typically affecting immunocompromised individuals.

  • Invasive aspergillosis is a major cause of mortality in leukemia patients.

• Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA): A hypersensitivity reaction to Aspergillus antigens, primarily affecting the lungs, often seen in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis.

  • Her chronic cough was eventually diagnosed as allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Variants and Related Words

• Aspergilloma (noun): A specific condition, also known as a "fungus ball," where a tangled mass of fungus fibers grows in a pre-existing lung cavity.
  • The chest X-ray revealed an aspergilloma in the old tuberculosis cavity.

Synonyms

• Mycosis: A general term for any disease caused by a fungus.
• Fungal infection: A broader term encompassing infections caused by various fungi, including .

Related Phrases

• Pulmonary aspergillosis: Specifies the infection is located in the lungs.

  • The biopsy confirmed a diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis.

• Disseminated aspergillosis: Refers to the infection that has spread from its original site to multiple areas of the body.

  • Disseminated aspergillosis carries a very poor prognosis.

Noun

1. disease especially in agricultural workers caused by inhalation of Aspergillus spores causing lumps in skin and ears and respiratory organs
2. an opportunistic infection by a fungus of the genus Aspergillus; characterized by inflammation and lesions of the ear and other organs
3. severe respiratory disease of birds that takes the form of an acute rapidly fatal pneumonia in young chickens and turkeys