clinical findings

Aflatoxicosis

AFLAflatoxin is one of the most common mycotoxins found to contaminate feeds in warm and humid climates. No animal specie is immune to the acute toxic effects of aflatoxins, including humans. Aflatoxicosis is a cause of widespread economic losses in the global poultry industry and chronic exposure to these toxins can mean the difference between profit and loss for many operations.

Aflatoxins are absorbed into the body from the gastrointestinal tract where they are metabolized by mucosal cells, liver. Aflatoxins are a potent liver toxin that suppress protein synthesis – reducing bird weights and lowering egg production by up to five percent. Liver bile salt production is also impaired which reduces the absorption of fats, fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoid pigments, which results in pale bird syndrome. Aflatoxicosis decreases the activities of several enzymes important to the digestion of starch, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids which reduce weight gain. Aflatoxins are also well known carcinogens.

The immune system is a key target of aflatoxins and is therefore a major concern to global food animal producers. Extensive studies suggest that aflatoxicosis increases susceptibility of birds to salmonella infection due to a reduction in the number and phagocytic activity of leukocytes. Aflatoxin consumption has been shown to increase susceptibility to viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections which negatively impact animal productivity.

clinical findings

Clinical Disease

Aflatoxin is well known as a potent carcinogen and liver toxin. It also is known to cause structural and functional damage to other tissues including the heart, kidneys, and the Reticulo-Endothelial System. Its dramatic immunosuppressive effect is a major concern to the poultry industry due to the direct and indirect losses associated with increased clinical and subclinical disease.

clinical findings

Identifing Aflatoxin Mycotoxicosis

Animal performance is the best tool a producer has to determine aflatoxin exposure in poultry. If animal feeding performance has decreased due to aflatoxin consumption, then it is already too late to get 100% performance from the flock. Prophylactic use of Calibrin-A reduces the chance of aflatoxicosis and loss of profits due to the reduction in animal performance.

Another visual symptom of aflatoxicosis is bleaching of the skin pigment, also known as pale bird syndrome. Aflatoxin reduces adsorption, transport, and deposition of dietary carotenoids (Vitamin A precursor), preventing the yellow coloration of the skin. Feeding Calibrin-A was shown to improve skin pigmentation in the shanks of chickens fed 2 ppm AFB1.