Fusariotoxicoses of farm animals and mycotoxic leucoencephalomalacia of the equine associated with the finding of trichothecenes in feedstuffs.

The research studies the occurrence of Fusariotoxicoses in horses, rabbits and cattle as a result of consuming feed that contains the T-2 toxin including other trichothecenes. The symptoms varied among species but led to significant health issues including central nervous disorder in horses and rabbits and skin eruptions in cattle.

Research Objective and Methods

• The researchers sought to investigate mycotoxicoses caused by Fusariotoxicoses in farm animals, specifically horses, rabbits, and cattle.
• Fusariotoxicoses are harmful conditions caused by the ingestion of grain and forages contaminated by various Fusarium fungus species.
• The feed suspected of causing the illnesses was isolated and analyzed using thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry techniques. The key toxins isolated included T-2 toxin, HT-2, verrucarins and roridin, all part of the trichothecenes group.

Findings and Implications

• The T-2 toxin was found in amounts ranging from 0.5-204 ppm across the different feedstuffs, which included cereal grains (corn, cornstalks, bran and barley), and fescue hay.
• The impact of the toxins differed from one animal species to another, a finding described as ‘host specific’ by the researchers.
• Horses and rabbits primarily developed central nervous disorders with significant pathological findings in the brain.
• Beyond the central nervous disorders, the research also found instances of hepatitis and nephritis in naturally intoxicated horses and experimentally fed rats.
• Cattle feed on the contaminated feed developed mucocutaneous eruptions around the mouth and nostrils. Additionally, they exhibited dermonecrotic findings involving their extremities, ear, and tail.
• The research highlights a significant risk to livestock, and potentially humans, from T-2 toxin contamination in feedstuffs. It underscores the need for careful control and monitoring of feedstuffs to prevent the occurrence of Fusariotoxicoses in farm animals.