Clinicopathological findings of an episode of mycotoxicosis in horses

This report of mycotoxicosis in horses describes the clinical signs, post-mortem findings, histopathological findings and prognosis following the accidental feeding of mycotoxin contaminated fodder to the horses at a farm over a 3-year period. Variable clinical signs viz. weight loss, height retardation in foals, episodes of sudden weakness and staggering gait, ulceration in the oral cavity and at mucocutaneous junctions, yawning, decreased appetite to complete anorexia, rectal prolapse, and failure of blood clotting were observed in many horses at an organised equine farm over a period of 2–3 years. Post-mortem examination of these cases revealed liver cirrhosis and pathological changes in other organs too. On examination of the fodder, it was observed that pearl millet fodder fed to the animals had ergot infestation. On laboratory investigation of the fodder, aflatoxins levels ranged from 24 ppb to 70 ppb in pearl millet fodder. The analysis eventually led to discontinuation of the pearl millet fodder. On follow-up for 2 years, no new cases of hepatic cirrhosis were seen. Most of the horses at the farm including those that had shown high levels of serum gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and weight loss, recovered completely. The present episode demonstrates that there is a need for regular monitoring of cereal fodders of horses in subtropical and tropical areas to avoid mycotoxicosis. In the present episode, monitoring serum/plasma GGT levels was found to be a sensitive biochemical indicator to identify liver damage caused by mycotoxins.