Fumonisin B1 levels associated with an epizootic of equine leukoencephalomalacia.
Abstract: During the fall of 1989, an episode of equine leukoencephalomalacia involved 18 of 66 purebred Arabian horses at a breeding/training stable in Arizona. Of the 18 horses affected, the condition was fatal in 14. These horses, as well as 48 unaffected horses, had been fed a diet containing a substantial amount of white corn screenings. Gross pathologic findings included liquefactive necrosis in parts of the cerebral white matter and hemorrhagic foci of various sizes in the brain stem. Histopathologic findings included rarefied white matter with pyknotic nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasm. Thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy were utilized to identify and quantitate fumonisin B1 in 3 samples of corn from the farm. Concentrations of fumonisin B1 range from 37 to 122 ppm. Fumonisin B2 was also detected. Using information on diet, animal weights, and feeding practices, estimates of total fumonisin B1 dosage were determined. This is the first definitive report on equine leukoencephalomalacia and associated fumonisin B1 concentrations.
Publication Date: 1990-07-01 PubMed ID: 2094447DOI: 10.1177/104063879000200311Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Arabian Horses
- Clinical Pathology
- Diagnosis
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Disease Outbreaks
- Encephalomyelitis
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Feeding Practices
- High-performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
- Histopathology
- Necrosis
- Neurological Diseases
- Nutrition
- Toxins
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Research
Summary
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This research article investigates a 1989 episode of equine leukoencephalomalacia – a fatal disease in horses – affecting 18 Arabian horses in Arizona, finding a potential link to fumonisin B1, a toxin found in their corn-based diet.
Research Background and Objective
- The study was prompted by an outbreak of equine leukoencephalomalacia in Arabian horses in Arizona in 1989. Equine leukoencephalomalacia is a fatal neurological disease in horses characterized by softening of the white matter in the brain. The researchers aimed to examine the potential causes of this outbreak.
Disease Findings and Affected Horses
- Out of 66 purebred Arabian horses at a breeding and training stable, 18 were affected by this condition, out of which 14 proved fatal.
- The researchers found symptoms such as liquefactive necrosis in parts of the cerebral white matter and hemorrhagic (causing bleeding) foci of various sizes in the brain stem.
- Upon microscopic inspection, the researchers observed rarefied white matter with pyknotic nuclei (condensed and fragmented) and eosinophilic (reacting to acidic dye) cytoplasm.
Diet Analysis and Findings
- The primary common factor among the affected horses was their diet. All the 18 affected horses, as well as 48 unaffected ones, were fed a diet containing a substantial amount of white corn screenings.
- The researchers performed thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy on the samples of corn from the farm to identify and quantify potential toxins.
- These analyses pointed to the presence of high levels of fumonisin B1, a toxic compound produced by certain fungi. The concentration of fumonisin B1 ranged between 37 and 122 parts per million (ppm). Fumonisin B2 was also detected in the samples.
Study Conclusions
- Based on the information about the horses’ diets, their respective weights, and feeding practices, the researchers could work out an estimation of the total fumonisin B1 dosage that each horse received.
- This study represents the first definitive report suggesting a possible link between fumonisin B1 exposure through diet and an onset of equine leukoencephalomalacia.
Cite This Article
APA
Wilson TM, Ross PF, Rice LG, Osweiler GD, Nelson HA, Owens DL, Plattner RD, Reggiardo C, Noon TH, Pickrell JW.
(1990).
Fumonisin B1 levels associated with an epizootic of equine leukoencephalomalacia.
J Vet Diagn Invest, 2(3), 213-216.
https://doi.org/10.1177/104063879000200311 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- US Department of Agriculture, National Veterinary Services Laboratories, Ames 50010.
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed / analysis
- Animals
- Brain / pathology
- Brain Stem / pathology
- Carcinogens, Environmental / analysis
- Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
- Chromatography, Thin Layer
- Disease Outbreaks / veterinary
- Encephalomalacia / epidemiology
- Encephalomalacia / pathology
- Encephalomalacia / veterinary
- Female
- Fumonisins
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
- Mycotoxins / analysis
- Zea mays
Citations
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