AFLATOXINS AND LIVESTOCK

Mycotoxins affect livestock  by  reduced productivity through  reduced quality and quantity of eggs , milk and meat, drooling and  compromised feed conversion rate . Although young animals are more susceptible, all ages are also ready candidates expressing symptoms like  gastro intestinal dysfunction, and anaemia,  In the field, farmers face challenges of diagnosis partly due to the age , medical status, and level of exposure

In horses, more susceptibility is recorded because they are non ruminants,… That is having simple stomach, in which the small intestine, a major site of food absorption, comes before the process of fermentation digestion. Expressions in horses include reduced growth rate, reduced conversion rate,, reduced fertility, disorganised respiration rate  and the overall compromised ability to serve its utility function. For optimum performance, horses must be exposed to mycotoxin- free(or significantly reduced) grass and forage

In dairy cattle the dietary aflatoxin is converted to aflatoxin M, to symbolise the toxin in milk Generally, aflatoxin M is a residue that represents between 2 and 3 % of the original contaminant in the diet

Poultry, swine, dairy and beef cattle are popular candidates for mycotoxin contamination. In order to achieve a proper and acceptable positioning of producers and exporters  for greater competitiveness and profitability, just   a fair international trade is attained and sustained , it is very wise to frontally address the issue of contaminants in food and feedstuffs

Usually measured in parts per million, ppm, or milligram per kilogram or one minute in 2 years; or parts per billion, ppb, or microgram per kilogram or one second in 22 years, its accumulation in low doses in the body over time, is capable of inciting morbidities,  mostly arising from  immune-suppressions and possibly , death

The International  Agency for Research on Cancer IARC, an arm of the WHO,  recognises the aflatoxin B1 as capable of igniting cancer in liver . Due to this, the toxin  has been placed and remained on the list of Type 1 carcinogen

DF

Jan 10, 2023