Experimental aspergillosis in rabbits.

Controls, as well as cortisone-treated rabbits, were challenged with Aspergillus fumigatus spores intratracheally. Animals were sacrificed 3, 7, 14 and 28 days after inoculation and their organs cultured and studied histologically. Lesions were produced in both groups, although the cortisone-treated group showed greater pathology and the lesions persisted for a longer period of time than the control groups. Histologically, the pulmonary lesions showed granulomatous pulmonary aspergillosis and suppurative necrotizing pneumonic infiltrates.