Mucormycotic hepatic lesions resembling bacillary hemoglobinuria infarcts in irradiated calves

To produce hematopoietic chimeras, 3 young, healthy calves were exposed to whole-body irradiation and, 6 days after irradiation, were injected with a bone-marrow suspension prepared from an unrelated, normal donor calf. Antibiotics were administered daily to control bacterial infection. One calf died 8 days postirradiation (PI), another died 10 days PI, and the third calf was killed in extremis 11 days PI. In addition to lesions of acute radiation injury, one to several spherical, firm, dry, reddish-black nodules were found in the liver of each calf. Hepatic changes and blood-stained urine were suggestive of bacillary hemoglobinuria. Fungi, identified by their morphologic features as members of the class Phycomycetes, were widely distributed in the tissues and lesions.