Tennessee Falconry Permit Practice Exam

Respiratory fungal infections in raptors are most commonly due to aspergillosis, an infection caused by Aspergillus species that tends to involve the airways and air sacs. Inhaling mold spores from dusty or moldy environments leads to granulomatous lesions along the trachea and in the air sacs, producing signs like difficulty breathing, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, and weight loss. This condition is especially common in stressed or captive birds with poor ventilation or chronic illness. Diagnosis relies on imaging and sampling such as endoscopy with tracheal or air-sac washes and fungal culture or PCR. Treatment requires long-term antifungal therapy (for example itraconazole or voriconazole) and environmental changes to reduce spore exposure, with prognosis that can vary. The other options don’t fit this scenario: Trichomonas infection is a protozoal disease affecting the mouth or crop, Coccidiosis is an intestinal parasite, and electrocution is an injury rather than a fungal airway infection.