Impact of Fusarium mycotoxins on swine health: Field observations

Abstract

Mycotoxins are structurally diverse fungal metabolites that can contaminate a variety of dietary components consumed by animals and humans. The aim of this paper was to present the field observations of clinical and pathological consequences on swine health in the cases when Fusarium mycotoxins were detected in swine feed. The material for research included the samples from swine farms located in the region of Vojvodina, where health disorders resembling intestinal problems in different swine categories were detected. The applied research methods included: epidemiological and clinical evaluation, gross pathology examination, bacteriological tissue testing originating from diseased dead animals. The presence of deoxynivalenol (DON), T-2 toxin and zearalenone (ZEA) in thirteen complete swine feed mixtures were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods, using Ridascreen®FAST DON, Ridascreen®FAST T2, and Ridascreen®FAST Zearalenon test kits (R-Biopharm, Germany). By clinical and pathological examination, the lesions predominantly located in digestive tract were observed in different swine categories. The problem of persistent enteric infections in suckling piglets and alteration of growth performance were notified in weaners and fatteners. In adult categories, reduced feed consumption, sometimes distinct feed refusal and vomiting were observed. In all examined samples of complete feed mixtures for different swine categories the concentration of DON exceeded the maximum permitted levels, but also the presence of other Fusarium mycotoxins was detected. The obtained results indicate the existence of feed mixtures contamination with low levels of Fusarium mycotoxins and their possible positive interaction with etiological agents present in swine farms.

Mikotoksini su strukturno različiti metaboliti plesni koji mogu da kontaminiraju komponente koje se koriste u ishrani životinja i ljudi. Cilj rada bio je da se prikažu terenska zapažanja kliničkih i patoloških posledica po zdravlje svinja u slučajevima kada su Fusarium mikotoksini utvrđeni u hrani za ovu vrstu. Materijal za ispitivanje je obuhvatao uzorke poreklom s farmi svinja u Vojvodini, na kojima su registrovani zdravstveni problemi intestinalnog trakta kod različitih kategorija. Primenjene metode ispitivanja su obuhvatale: epizootiološka i klinička ispitivanja, makropatomorfološki pregled uginulih jedinki, bakteriološko i molekularno ispitivanje uzoraka organa i tkiva poreklom od obolelih, uginulih jedinki i mikrobiološko ispitivanje hrane u cilju kontrole prisustva plesni. Prisustvo deoksinivalenola, T-2 toksina i zearalenona je ispitivano u 14 uzoraka različitih kompletnih smeša za svinje primenom imunoenzimske tehnike (Ridascreen®FAST DON, Rida­ screen®FAST T2, Ridascreen®FAST Zearalenon, R-Biopharm, Germany). Kliničkim i patološkim pregledom, kod različitih kategorija svinja, utvrđene su lezije dominantno u digestivnom traktu. Problem upornih enteralnih infekcija kod prasadi na sisi i promene u porastu su zabeležene kod zalučene prasadi i tovljenika. Kod odraslih kategorija svinja, utvrđena je umanjena konzumacija hrane, ponekad izraženo odbijanje hrane i povraćanje. U svim ispitanim uzorcima kompletnih smeša za različite kategorije svinja koncentracija mikotoksina DON bila je veća od maksimalno dozvoljenih vrednosti. U ispitanim uzorcima hrane utvrđeno je i prisustvo drugih Fusarium mikotoksina. Postignuti rezultati ukazuju na kontaminaciju hraniva s niskim vrednostima Fusarium mikotoksina i na njihovu moguću pozitivnu interreakciju s uzročnicima bolesti prisutnim na farmama svinja.