Mycotoxicosis

A mycotoxicosis is a disease caused by a natural toxin produced by a fungus. In poultry, this usually results when toxin-producing fungi grow in grain and feed. Hundreds of mycotoxins have been identified, and many are pathogenic. Mycotoxins may have additive or synergistic effects with other natural toxins, infectious agents, and nutritional deficiencies. Many are chemically stable and maintain toxicity over time.

Sign and symptoms

·         Fibromyalgia(and several correlated symptoms)

·         Respiratory distress, coughing, sneezing, sinusitis

·         Difficulty swallowing, choking, spitting up (vomiting) mucous

·         Hypersensitivity pneumonitis

·         Burning in the throat and lungs (similar to acid reflux and often misdiagnosed as such)

·         Asthmatic signs; wheezing, shortness in breath, coughing, burning in lungs, etc.

·         Irritable bowel syndrome, nausea, diarrhea, sharp abdominal pains, stomach lesions

·         Bladder, liver, spleen, or kidney pain

·         Dark or painful urine

·         Dirt-like taste in mouth, coated tongue

·         Memory loss; brain fog, slurred speech, occasionally leading to dementia

·         Vision problems

·         Swollen lymph nodes

·         Yellowing of nails, ridges, or white marks under nail

·         Thyroid irregularities, sometimes leading to complete dysfunction; adrenal problems

·         Headaches

·         Anxiety/depression, heart palpitations - confusion, PTSD

·         Extreme blood pressure, cholesterol, or triglycerides irregularities

·         Ringing in ears, balance problems (very common), dizziness, loss of hearing (aspergillus niger)

·         Chronic fatigue (also included under this classification directional confusion)

·         Intermittent face flushing; almost always systemic, Called the Mylar Flush (neurological))

·         Night head sweats, and drooling while sleeping, profuse sweating

·         Multiple chemical sensitivity; only upon exposure to Stachybotrys and Chaetomium

·         Bruising/scarring easily; rash or hives, bloody lesions all over the skin (Often systemic,)

·         Reproductive system complications; infertility, changes in menstrual cycles, miscarriage

·         Sudden weight changes (Detoxifier genotypes tend to gain weight, non-detoxifier genotypes tend to lose weight)

·         Cancer

·         Hair loss, very brittle nails, temporary loss of fingerprints (in rare cases)

·         Joint/muscle stiffness and pain

·         Hypersensitivity when re-exposed to molds, which can lead to anaphylaxis

·         Anaphylaxis upon re-exposure to mycotoxin producing molds

Diagnosis

Mycotoxicosis should be suspected when the history, signs, and lesions are suggestive of feed intoxication, and especially when moldy ingredients or feed are evident. Toxin exposure associated with consumption of a new batch of feed may result in subclinical or transient disease. Chronic or intermittent exposure can occur in regions where grain and feed ingredients are of poor quality or when feed storage is substandard or prolonged. Impaired production can be a clue to a mycotoxin problem, as can improvement because of correction of feed management deficiencies.

Samples should be collected at sites of ingredient storage, feed manufacture and transport, feed bins, and feeders. Fungal activity increases as feed is moved from the feed mill to the feeder pans. Samples of 500 g (1 lb) should be collected and submitted in separate containers.

Treatment

The toxic feed should be removed and replaced with unadulterated feed. Concurrent diseases should be treated to alleviate disease interactions, and substandard management practices must be corrected. Some mycotoxins increase requirements for vitamins, trace minerals (especially selenium), protein, and lipids and can be compensated for by feed supplementation and water-based treatment. Nonspecific toxicologic therapies using activated charcoal (digestive tract adsorption) in the feed have a sparing effect but are not practical for larger production units.

Prevention

Prevention of mycotoxicoses should focus on using feed and ingredients free of mycotoxins and on management practices that prevent mold growth and mycotoxin formation during feed transport and storage. Regular inspection of feed storage and feeding systems can identify flow problems, which allow residual feed and enhance fungal activity and mycotoxin formation. Mycotoxins can form in decayed, crusted feed in feeders, feed mills, and storage bins; cleaning and correcting the problem can have immediate benefits. Temperature extremes cause moisture condensation and migration in bins and promote mycotoxin formation.

Ventilation of poultry houses to avoid high relative humidity also decreases the moisture available for fungal growth and toxin formation in the feed. Antifungal agents added to feeds to prevent fungal growth have no effect on toxin already formed but may be cost-effective in conjunction with other feed management practices. Organic acids (propionic acid, 500–1,500 ppm [0.5–1.5 g/kg]) are effective inhibitors, but the effectiveness may be reduced by the particle size of feed ingredients and the buffering effect of certain ingredients. Sorbent compounds such as hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) effectively bind and prevent absorption of aflatoxin. Esterified glucomannan, derived from the cell wall of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is protective against aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxins. It reduces toxicity through the binding and reduction in bioavailability of fumonisins, zearalenone, and T-2 toxin. Various other fermentation products, algae and plant extracts, and microbial feed additives have demonstrated ability to bind or degrade mycotoxins and may be applicable and appropriate for the situation.