Fusariotoxicoses of farm animals and mycotoxic leucoencephalomalacia of the equine associated with the finding of trichothecenes in feedstuffs.

Mycotoxicoses involving horses, rabbits and cattle have been studied. Fusarium tricinctum and T-2 toxin were isolated from all incriminated feedstuffs. Other isolated trichothecenes from the feed included HT-2, verrucarins and roridin. The toxins were separated, identified and quantitated using thin-layer chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. T-2 toxin was detected in amounts varying from 0.5-204 ppm. The contaminated feedstuffs in connection with the affected horses and rabbits, included cereal grains (corn, cornstalks, bran and barley), whereas fescue hay was associated with the mucocutaneous findings in the bovine episode. The effects of the toxin(s) seemed to be host specific and varied according to the different animal species. Horses and rabbits developed primarily central nervous disorders with conspicuous pathological findings in the brain. Hepatitis and nephritis were also seen in naturally intoxicated horses and experimentally fed rats. Affected cattle developed mucocutaneous eruptions around the mouth and nostrils. In addition, dermonecrotic findings were observed involving the extremities, ear and tail. Fusariotoxicoses are toxic conditions of farm animals and man caused by the ingestion of cereal grains and forages contaminated by different fungal species of the genus Fusarium. A variety of clinical and pathological findings have been reported (5,6,10,13,15,17,31). This study concerns neuropathic findings in horses and rabbits and mucocutaneous lesions in cattle in association with T-2 toxin contamination.