Mycotoxicological monitoring of feed and its role in prevention of animal mycotoxicoses

Abstract

Mycotoxins can accumulate in raw materials of plant origin at different technological stages of its production. Most often, the producers of mycotoxins are fungi of the genera Aspergillus , Fusarium , Penicillium and some others. The clinical symptoms of mycotoxicoses vary significantly, and lethal outcomes are possible. For this reason, the mycotoxicological study of various types of feed under production conditions is an indispensable component of veterinary support of industrial animal husbandry. As part of this study, a retrospective analysis of the results of a mycotoxicological study of feed for different animal species was carried out in the Omsk region in 2017-2021. All feeds received by the Omsk Regional Veterinary Laboratory for 5 years for the determination of mycotoxins were examined for the presence of ochratoxin A, zearalenone, T-2 toxin, aflatoxin B 1, deoxynivalenol. It was established that almost 70 % of the studied samples contained mycotoxins, including their maximum allowable level was exceeded in 74 samples. Exceeding the permissible levels was noted for the content of T-2 toxin (34 samples), zearalenone (27 samples), ochratoxin A (6 samples), aflatoxin B 1 (4 samples) and deoxynivalenol (3 samples). The largest number of cases of contamination was recorded in the study of feed and feed mixtures. The greatest danger is the multiple contamination of feed with mycotoxins. This increases the risk of developing comorbid conditions and the spread of opportunistic infections.

Keywords

• mycotoxins
• animal feed
• ochratoxin
• zearalenone
• t-2 toxin
• aflatoxin
• deoxynivalenol
• mycotoxicosis
• comorbid conditions
• opportunistic infections