Given the difference in prices, diagnosis in emus is more likely to be done by post-mortem. There is no known effective treatment for clinically sick birds. A range of treatments has been attempted in the ostrich industry but to date a successful treatment regimen has not been found. At this stage prevention is the only effective method of controlling aspergillosis in emus. Prevention should be aimed at three broad areas.
Dust is most likely to be raised when litter is being removed or raked over.
Good quality litter will also help. A coarse litter of wood chips or pine wood shavings appears to work well. Litter that is already dusty may only contribute to the problem. This needs to be done in all stages to the end of the brooder stage. The cold storage room, the incubator and the hatcher should be fumigated or cleaned regularly with a recognised disinfectant active against fungi.