ABSTRACT
A young male southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), which was resident in a zoo as part of a multi-rhinoceros group, died suddenly. Necropsy and histopathological findings supported a diagnosis of death from acute hepatic necrosis. The microscopic distribution of liver lesions was suggestive of hepatotoxicosis. Further investigation revealed potential exposure to a mycotoxin, sterigmatocystin, present in spoiled lucerne hay contaminated with Aspergillus nidulans. It was concluded that mycotoxicosis was the likely cause of the hepatic necrosis and death in this animal.
Subject(s)
Animal Feed/poisoning , Aspergillus niger/isolation & purification , Liver Diseases/veterinary , Mycotoxicosis/veterinary , Perissodactyla , Sterigmatocystin/poisoning , Acute Disease , Animal Feed/microbiology , Animals , Animals, Zoo , Food Contamination , Liver Diseases/etiology , Male , Medicago sativa/chemistry , Medicago sativa/microbiology , Mycotoxicosis/etiology , NecrosisABSTRACT
Mycotoxin hepatitis which develops in pigs when they eat fodder contaminated by mycotoxin (sterigmatocystin) is registered at large pig breeding farms of Ukraine. Diagnostics of mycotoxin hepatitis of pigs induced by sterigmatocystin is based on clinical-epizootiological studies and mycotoxin analysis of the fodder including detection of fungi, producers of sterigmatocystin and determination of the content of mycotoxin itself. The authors have suggested a method based on extraction of mycotoxin from the fodder by means of the mixture of chloroform and 4% water solution of potassium chloride, on concentration of the chloroform residue, its separation in a thin layer of silicagel, and UV examination of chromatograms. The method sensitivity is 30 micrograms per 1 kg of the product. This method will permit diagnosis of mycotoxin hepatitis in animals and will promote timely prophylactic measures. The method is easy to be applied in veterinary laboratories.
Subject(s)
Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/veterinary , Mycotoxicosis/veterinary , Swine Diseases/diagnosis , Animal Feed/analysis , Animal Feed/microbiology , Animals , Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/diagnosis , Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/etiology , Diagnosis, Differential , Food Microbiology , Fungi/isolation & purification , Mycotoxicosis/complications , Mycotoxicosis/diagnosis , Sterigmatocystin/analysis , Sterigmatocystin/poisoning , Swine , Swine Diseases/etiology , UkraineABSTRACT
Secondary metabolites, toxic to macro-organisms and micro-organisms, are produced by certain molds and some plant parasitic living fungi. A risk is given for man worldwide by ingestion or apparently also be other routes always undetected. In vivo-effects of the various mycotoxins are different, but mainly the liver is affected, expecially by the intake of smaller amounts of these poisons. Accordingly cirrhosis of the liver or primary liver carcinoma are expected in man as well as in animals and were already proved outside of Europe.
