Mycotoxicoses in Domestic Animals
Disease | Toxins (When Known) | Fungi or Molds | Regions Where Reported | Contaminated Toxic Foodstuff | Animals Affected | Signs and Lesions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aflatoxicosis | Aflatoxins | Aspergillus flavus, A parasiticus | Widespread (warmer climatic zones) | Moldy peanuts, soybeans, cottonseeds, rice, sorghum, corn (maize), other cereals | All poultry, pigs, cattle, sheep, dogs | Major effects in all species are slow growth and hepatotoxicosis. Also see Aflatoxicosis in Animals and see Mycotoxicoses in Poultry. |
Diplodiosis | Unknown | Diplodia zeae | South Africa | Moldy corn (maize) | Cattle, sheep | Nervous system disorders, cold and insensitive limbs. Recovery usual on removal of source. |
Ergotism | Ergot alkaloids | Claviceps purpurea | Widespread | Seed heads of many grasses, grains | Cattle, horses, pigs, poultry | Peripheral gangrene, late gestation suppression of lactation initiation. See page Ergotism in Animals. |
Paspalinine and paspalitrems, tremorgens | C paspali, C cinerea | Widespread | Seed heads of paspalum grasses | Cattle, horses, sheep | Acute tremors and ataxia. See page Paspalum Staggers in Animals. | |
Estrogenism and vulvovaginitis | Zearalenone | Fusarium graminearum Perfect state: Gibberella zeae | Widespread | Moldy corn (maize) and pelleted cereal feeds, standing corn, corn silage, other grains | Pigs, cattle, sheep, poultry | Vulvovaginitis in pigs, anestrus or pseudopregnancy in mature sows, early embryonic death of swine embryos, estrogenism in cattle and sheep, reduced egg production in poultry. Also see Mycotoxin-Associated Estrogenism and Vulvovaginitis in Animals. |
Facial eczema (Pithomycotoxicosis) | Sporidesmins | Pithomyces chartarum | Widespread | Toxic spores on pasture litter | Sheep, cattle, farmed deer | Also see Facial Eczema in Animals. |
Fescue foot | Ergovaline | Neotyphodium coenophialum | USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy | Tall fescue grass (Lolium arundinacea) | Cattle, horses | Lameness, weight loss, hyperthermia, heat intolerance, dry gangrene of extremities, agalactia, thickened fetal membranes. Also see Fescue Poisoning in Animals. |
Fusariotoxicosis, vomiting and feed refusal in pigs | Nonmacrocyclic trichothecenes (deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol [DAS], many other trichothecenes) | Fusarium sporotrichioides, F culmorum, F graminearum, F nivale; other fungal species | Widespread (except for deoxynivalenol, more likely in temperate to colder climates) | Cereal crops, moldy roughage | Pigs, cattle, horses, poultry | Vomiting and feed refusal (deoxynivalenol), loss of appetite and milk production, diarrhea, staggers, skin irritation, immunosuppression; recovery (from T-2, DAS) on removal of contaminated feed. Also see Trichothecene Toxicosis in Animals. |
Leukoencephalomalacia | Fumonisin B1 | Fusarium verticilloides | Egypt, USA, South Africa, Greece | Moldy corn (maize) | Horses, other Equidae, pigs | Depends on degree and specific site of brain lesion. Also see Fumonisin Toxicosis in Animals. |
Mycotoxic lupinosis (as distinct from alkaloid poisoning) | Phomopsins | Phomopsis leptostromiformis | Widespread | Moldy seed, pods, stubble, and haulm of several Lupinus spp affected by Phomopsis stem blight | Sheep, occasionally cattle, horses, pigs | Lassitude, inappetence, stupor, icterus, marked liver injury. Usually fatal. Also see Mycotoxic Lupinosis in Animals. |
Myrotheciotoxicosis, dendrodochiotoxicosis | Macrocyclic trichothecenes (verrucarins, roridins, etc) | Myrothecium verrucaria, M roridum | Southeast Europe, former USSR | Moldy rye stubble, straw | Sheep, cattle, horses | Acute—diarrhea, respiratory distress, hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, immunosuppression, death. Chronic—ulceration of GI tract, unthriftiness, gradual recovery. Also see Trichothecene Toxicosis in Animals. |
Macrocyclic trichothecenes (baccharinoids) | M verrucaria | Brazil | Plants of Baccharis spp that contain the toxins | Cattle, other herbivores | Epithelial necrosis of GI tract. Also see Trichothecene Toxicosis in Animals. | |
Ochratoxicosis | Ochratoxin, also citrinin | Aspergillus ochraceus and others, Penicillium viridicatum, P citrinum | Widespread | Moldy barley, corn (maize), wheat | Pigs, poultry | Perirenal edema, enlarged pale kidneys with cortical cysts, and tubular degeneration and fibrosis; immunosuppression, polyuria and polydipsia. |
Penicillium-associated tremorgens | Penitrem A | P crustosum, P cyclopium, P commune | Widespread | Cereal grains, cheese, fruit, meats, nuts, refrigerated foods; compost | Cattle, dogs, horses, sheep | Neurotoxic signs, including continual tremors, seizures, hyperexcitability, ataxia. Vomiting and CNS signs in dogs. |
Roquefortine | P roqueforti | As above, and in silage | ||||
Perennial ryegrass staggers | Lolitrems | Lolium perenne,Neotyphodium lolii, an endophyte fungus confined to L perenne | Australia, New Zealand, Europe, USA | Endophyte-infected ryegrass pastures | Sheep, cattle, horses, deer | Tremors, incoordination, collapse, convulsive spasms. Also see Annual Ryegrass Toxicosis. |
Poultry hemorrhagic syndrome | Probably aflatoxins and rubratoxins | Probably Aspergillus flavus, A clavatus, Penicillium purpurogenum, Alternaria sp | USA | Moldy grain and meal | Growing chickens | Depression, anorexia, no weight gain, widespread internal hemorrhages, sometimes aplastic anemia, death. See chapter Mycotoxicoses in Poultry. |
Pulmonary edema, emphysema | 4-Ipomeanol | Fusarium solani | USA | Moldy sweet potatoes | Cattle | Acute pulmonary edema, leading to interstitial pneumonia and emphysema. |
Porcine pulmonary edema | Fumonisin B1 and Fumonisin B2 | Fusarium verticilloides | USA, South Africa | Corn | Swine | Acute interlobular pulmonary edema and hydrothorax cause anoxia and cyanosis. Survivors may develop icterus and chronic hepatotoxicosis. |
Slobbers syndrome | Slaframine (and swainsonine) | Rhizoctonia leguminicola | USA | Black patch disease, legumes (notably red clover) eaten as forage or hay | Sheep, cattle, horses | Salivation, bloat, diarrhea, sometimes death. Recovery usual when removed from clover. Also see Slaframine Toxicosis in Animals. |
Stachybotryotoxicosis | Macrocyclic trichothecenes (satratoxin, roridin, verrucarin) | Stachybotrys atra (S alternans) | Former USSR, southeast Europe | Moldy roughage, other contaminated feed | Horses, cattle, sheep, pigs | Stomatitis and ulceration, anorexia, leukopenia, extensive hemorrhages in many organs, inflammation and necrosis in the gut, immunosuppression. Also see Trichothecene Toxicosis in Animals. |
Sweet clover poisoning | Dicumarol | Penicillium spp, Mucor spp, Aspergillus spp | North America | Sweet clover (Melilotus spp) | Cattle, horses, sheep | Vitamin K antagonism with coagulopathy and hemorrhage. Also see Sweet Clover Poisoning. |
Tremorgen ataxia syndrome | Penitrems, verruculogen, paxilline, fumitremorgens, aflatrems, roquefortine | Penicillium crustosum, P puberulum, P verruculosum, P roqueforti, Aspergillus flavus, A fumigatus, A clavatus, and others | USA, South Africa, probably worldwide | Moldy feed; high-protein food products, even under refrigeration, eg, cream cheese, walnuts | All species, but dogs are quite susceptible | Tremors, polypnea, ataxia, collapse, convulsive spasms. |