Panagiotis D. Tassis

Current situation of mycotoxin contamination and co-occurrence in animal feed--focus on Europe.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi especially those belonging to the genus Aspergillus, Penicillum and Fusarium. Mycotoxin contamination can occur in all agricultural commodities in the field and/or during storage, if conditions are favourable to fungal growth. Regarding animal feed, five mycotoxins (aflatoxins, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisins and ochratoxin A) are covered by EU legislation (regulation or recommendation). Transgressions of these limits are rarely observed in official monitoring programs. However, low level contamination by Fusarium toxins is very common (e.g., deoxynivalenol (DON) is typically found in more than 50% of the samples) and co-contamination is frequently observed. Multi-mycotoxin studies reported 75%–100% of the samples to contain more than one mycotoxin which could impact animal health at already low doses. Co-occurrence of mycotoxins is likely to arise for at least three different reasons (i) most fungi are able to simultaneously produce a number of mycotoxins, (ii) commodities can be contaminated by several fungi, and (iii) completed feed is made from various commodities. In the present paper, we reviewed the data published since 2004 concerning the contamination of animal feed with single or combinations of mycotoxins and highlighted the occurrence of these co-contaminations.

The effect of a natural feed additive (Macleaya cordata), containing sanguinarine, on the performance and health status of weaning pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of Sangrovit(®) , a plant-derived feed additive, given throughout the nursery stage via feed at 15 ppm and 50 ppm, on the health status and performance of weaners against negative controls. In a 900-sow farrow-to-finish farm, a total of 864 piglets were divided into three groups: (i) negative controls (NC); (ii) Sang 15: same feed as NCs, plus 15 g Sangrovit(®) /t of feed; (iii) Sang 50: same feed as NCs plus 50 g Sangrovit(®) /t of feed. The results indicated that administration of 50 ppm(-) Sangrovit(®) had the most beneficial effects on growth performance in weaning pigs. Specifically there was increase of body weight and average daily gain, as well as reduction of feed conversion ratio. Blood analysis from the Sang groups and especially the Sang 50 group revealed low values of haptoglobin and serum amyloid A.

Cross-Sectional Serosurvey and Risk Factors Associated with the Presence of Toxoplasma gondii Antibodies in Pigs in Greece

INTRODUCTION Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide reported zoonotic infection caused by the protozoon Toxoplasma gondii. Pigs may become infected by ingesting feed or water contaminated with cat faeces, by cannibalism, and/or by eating infected rodents. T. gondii infected edible tissues of pigs are a source of infection for humans. This study was undertaken to detect seropositivity of pigs against T. gondii and identify possible risk factors as well as to compare two serological methods. METHODS A total of 609 blood samples were collected from 10% of the sows from 65 pig farms located in mainland Greece. Information about the geographical location, size, and biosecurity level of the herd was recorded. Samples were tested for the presence of antibodies against T. gondii employing the indirect fluorescent antibody test and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Twenty-six positive samples were detected (4.3%) in 17 out of the 65 farms tested (26.2%). The average seroprevalence in affected herds was 26.8% (95% confidence interval 21.0-32.6%). Among the categorical data evaluated, the biosecurity level (odds ratio 0.17, p < 0.01) and the geographical characteristics (odds ratio 13.55, p < 0.05) significantly affected the presence of toxoplasmosis in the herd. Toxoplasmosis was recorded in significantly higher percentages in mountainous farms as compared to lowlands (p < 0.05) and in those with poor biosecurity levels than in those with very good (p < 0.05). A very good agreement (κ = 0.958) was observed between the two serological methods. CONCLUSION The presence of antibodies in pigs is indirect information on the risk of the infection and an indication of the necessity of biosecurity measures to be taken in order to control infection at least in the areas at highest risk.