Feed associated haemorrhagic disorder in pigs accompanied by pancreatic lesions.

The introduction of a new batch of feed to 400 pigs aged five to eight weeks resulted in 38 deaths and further morbidity associated with multiple haemorrhages. Signs abated within two days of withdrawal of the feed. Widespread haemorrhages were present in many tissues including the pancreas.

Verruculogen Produced by soil fungi in England and Wales.

Soil fungi, including Aspergillus fischeri, Penicillium piceum, Penicillium nigricans, and Penicillium raistrickii, produced a tremorgenic toxin previously described as toxin X. Chemical analysis showed that this toxin was predominantly verruculogen.

Effect on calves of barley naturally contaminated with ochratoxin A and groundnut meal contaminated with low concentrations of aflatoxin B1.

Four groups of six 12-week-old male Friesian calves were fed diets containing 390 to 540 microgram ochratoxin A per kg, 320 to 500 microgram ochratoxin A plus 12 to 13 microgram aflatoxin B1 per kg, 10 to 13 microgram aflatoxin B1 per kg, or a control diet containing neither toxin. At the end of the 87-day experiment there was no evidence of kidney or liver damage in any group of animals as judged by serial plasma and urine enzyme assays, haematological examinations including the assay of blood coagulation factors, gross appearance at autopsy or histopathological assessment at the light microscopic level. Nor was there any significant alteration in serum IgA, IgM, IgG1 and IgG2 levels or in titres to environmental bacterial and viral antigens.

The failure of trichothecene mycotoxins and whole cultures of Fusarium tricinctum to cause experimental haemorrhagic syndromes in calves and pigs.

Piglets and calves were dosed orally with pure diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) and T-2 toxin, crude extracts of Fusarium tricinctum containing T-2 toxin, and whole cultures of F tricinctum containing T-2 toxin at a constant daily rate of 0.1 mg toxin per kg body-weight (piglets) or 0.2 mg toxin per kg body-weight (calves).