Non-fatal aflatoxicosis in Arabian horses in Iraq.

This research article discusses an outbreak of non-fatal aflatoxicosis, a disease caused by aflatoxins (metabolites produced by fungi on spoiled feeds), in Arabian horses in Iraq.

Context & Background

• The article begins by defining aflatoxins as metabolic by-products produced by fungi that grow on spoiled feeds. These aflatoxins consist of types B1, B2, G1, G2, and second-generation metabolites M1 and M2.
• The researchers note that incidences of aflatoxicosis in horses are rarely discussed in scientific literature. Previous studies have provided limited information on this disease in equines.
• The paper highlights that while aflatoxicosis has been confirmed in broiler flocks in Iraq, there haven’t been any reliable, confirmed cases in other animals such as sheep, goats, cows, buffaloes, and horses.

Clinical Observation

• The paper then describes a specific incident of an outbreak of non-fatal aflatoxicosis in a stud of Arabian horses in Iraq.
• The horses affected were part of the World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO) and non-WAHO Arabian horses, each of which typically consumed daily a diet comprising of 5 to 6 kg barley, 1 kg bran, and hay and alfalfa as they desire. The horses exhibited signs of soft faeces, indicating the likely onset of the disease.
• No mention is made of the horses’ water intake in the abstract, suggesting that the complete research may further explain the correlation between our water intake and the outbreak.

Significance

• This study is important as it illustrates the susceptibility of horses to aflatoxicosis, a relatively understudied condition in these animals, especially in regions where aflatoxins may be present in animal feed.
• The fact that this is a non-fatal case opens up possibilities for further research and interventions to prevent or manage the disease in horses.