ABSTRACT:
Aflatoxins are mycotoxins synthesized during fungal multiplication and are able to contaminate food and animal feed, producing acute or chronic effects on consumers. Dogs are sensitive to this substance toxic. Disease final diagnosis has been hard to be made due to several factors, such as lack of specific clinical signs and high costs of testing for toxin presence in food. Thus, this paper aimed to report an aflatoxicosis outbreak in eighteen dogs in Pelotas - RS, Brazil. Only one dog has not come to death, after eating contaminated crushed corn and rice. Final diagnosis of acute aflatoxicosis was established through anamnesis, laboratory tests, necropsy and histopathological results, besides analysis of toxin presence in animal feed. At necropsy, degeneration and severe hepatic necrosis were observed and the analysis of food samples confirmed B1, B2, G1 and G2 aflatoxins, in an amount of 898.2μg/kg in crushed corn and 409.86μg/kg in rice. Therefore, awareness measures about control and prevention of mycotoxicosis should be taken, stressing the possible damage to the health of animals. Furthermore, mycotoxin identification methods must be implemented into routine clinical practice, including analysis of animal feed offered, since aflatoxicosis has often been underestimated.
INDEX TERMS:
Aflatoxicosis; dogs; canines; fungi; mycotoxins; mycotoxicosis.
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