Disease | Fungi or Molds | Regions Where Reported | Contaminated Toxic Foodstuff | Animal(s) Affected | Signs and Tissue Changes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aflatoxicosis | Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus | Widespread (warmer climatic zones) | Moldy peanuts, soybeans, cottonseeds, rice, sorghum, corn (maize), other cereals | Dogs, chickens | Major effects are slow growth and toxicity of the liver |
Ergotism | Claviceps purpurea | Widespread | Seedheads of many grasses, grains | Horses, chickens | Peripheral gangrene, late gestation suppression of lactation initiation |
Claviceps paspali, C. cinerea | Widespread | Horses | Acute tremors and incoordination | ||
Estrogenism | Fusarium graminearum | Widespread | Moldy corn and pelleted cereal feeds | Chickens | Reduced egg production |
Fescue foot | Acremonium coenophialum | US, Australia, New Zealand, Italy | Tall fescue grass (Festuca arundinacea) | Horses | Lameness, weight loss, fever, dry gangrene of extremities, no milk production, thickened fetal membranes |
Fusariotoxicosis | Fusarium sporotrichoides, F culmorum, F graminearum, F nivale | Widespread | Cereal crops, moldy roughage | Horses, chickens | Feed refusal, decreased appetite and milk production, diarrhea, staggers, skin irritation, immunosuppression |
Leukoencephalomalacia | Fusarium verticilloides | Egypt, US, South Africa, Greece | Moldy corn (maize) | Horses, other equids | Depends on degree and specific site of brain injury |
Mycotoxic lupinosis (as distinct from alkaloid poisoning) | Phomopsis leptostromiformis | Widespread | Moldy seed, pods, stubble, and haulm of several Lupinus species affected by Phomopsis stem blight | Horses | Listlessness, no appetite, stupor, jaundice, marked liver injury; usually fatal |
Myrotheciotoxicosis | Myrothecium verrucaria, M roridum | Southeast Europe, former Soviet Union | Moldy rye stubble, straw | Horses | Sudden—diarrhea, trouble breathing, bleeding in stomach and intestines, immunosuppression, death Longterm—Stomach and intestinal ulcers, unthriftiness, gradual recovery |
Ochratoxicosis | Aspergillus ochraceus and others, Penicillium viridicatum, P citrinum | Widespread | Moldy barley, corn, wheat | Chickens | Kidney edema and enlargement, kidney failure, increased water consumption, immunosuppression |
Penicillium-associated tremorgens | Penicillium crustosum, P cyclopium, P commune | Widespread | Cereal grains, cheese, fruit, meats, nuts, refrigerated foods, compost | Dogs, horses | Neurotoxic signs, including tremors, seizures, hyperexcitability, unsteadiness. Vomiting in dogs. |
Perennial ryegrass staggers | Acremonium loliae, an endophyte fungus confined to Lolium perenne | Australia, New Zealand, Europe, US | Endophyte-infected ryegrass pastures | Horses | Tremors, incoordination, collapse, convulsive spasms |
Poultry hemorrhagic syndrome | Probably Aspergillus flavus, A clavatus, Penicillium Purpurogenum, Alternaria sp | USA | moldy grain and meal | Growing chickens | Depression, lack of appetite, no weight gain, widespread internal bleeding, anemia, death |
Slobbers syndrome | Rhizoctonia leguminicola | USA | Black patch disease, legumes (especially red clover) eaten as forage or hay | Horses | Drooling, bloat, diarrhea, sometimes death. Recovery usual when removed from clover. |
Stachybotryotoxicosis | Stachybotrys atra (S alternans) | Former Soviet Union, southest Europe | Moldy roughage, other contaminated feed | Horses | Mouth sores, lack of appetite, bleeding in many organs, inflamed intestines, immunosuppression |
Sweet clover poisoning | Penicillium, Mucor, and Aspergillus species | North America | Horses | Stiffness, lameness, bleeding from the nose or into the gastrointestinal tract | |
Tremorgen ataxia syndrome | Penicillium crustosum, P puberulum, P verruculosum, P roqueforti, Aspergillus flavus, A fumigatus, A clavatus, and others | US, South Africa, probably worldwide | Moldy feed | All species | Tremors, rapid breathing, incoordination, collapse, convulsive spasms |