What to Do About Mold Poisoning in Pigs? Detailed Explanation of Mold Toxin Prevention and Control Measures (1)
What to Do About Mold Poisoning in Pigs? Prevention and Control of Mold Toxin Poisoning (1)
According to incomplete statistics, there are as many as several hundred kinds of mold toxins, and all of them can harm pigs, just to varying degrees. The damage caused by many mold toxins is not easily noticed, and some can only be found through dissection, which is why farmers do not pay as much attention to mold toxins as they do to other infectious diseases. Since June, more than 20% of pig farms have had serious mold toxin levels exceeding standards, and it was also found that more than half of pig farms using self-mixed feed did not add mold removers, so problems of varying degrees exist.
Mold toxins in pig farms mainly appear in the following areas: first, poor-quality corn, soybean meal, bran, etc.; second, low-priced complete feed contains more mold toxins; third, although complete feed undergoes high-temperature processing during production, the toxins it produces cannot be eliminated by that processing; fourth, pig farms take the easy way out and bring in too much feed at one time, so the feed stays on the farm too long and is prone to secondary mold growth and toxin production; fifth, the troughs in pig farms often have leftover feed, and the residual feed is very likely to mold and produce toxins under high-temperature and high-humidity conditions; sixth, mold removers are not added reasonably.
The mold toxins in feed that have a relatively large impact on pigs are mainly the following: aflatoxin, zearalenone, T-2 toxin, ochratoxin, and ergot alkaloid toxin.
Aflatoxin poisoning: Aflatoxin is mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. It is one of the most toxic mold toxins and can cause severe liver lesions, reduce the resistance of fattening pigs, lower feed utilization, slow growth, cause jaundice, coagulopathy, listlessness, and anorexia; in severe cases it causes pig poisoning and death, reduced reproductive rate, sow miscarriage, and decreased lactation, and it causes immunosuppression, greatly reducing the effectiveness of vaccine immunization.
Zearalenone poisoning: This is a toxin produced by Fusarium growing on corn and wheat, and it mainly affects piglets from 3 to 5 months of age. After pigs eat it, estrogen-like symptoms appear. Clinically, small and medium-sized sows and castrated sows show estrus-like symptoms: swelling and bright red vulva, flushed vaginal mucosa, some with uterine or anal prolapse, raised udders, and reduced libido; pregnant sows have premature birth and miscarriage; weaned sows have delayed or abnormal estrus; farrowing sows have prolonged parturition, and more weak piglets and stillbirths.
T-2 toxin poisoning: T-2 toxin is another toxin produced by Fusarium, with vomiting and diarrhea as the main features. Acute: often onset occurs half an hour after feeding, with listlessness, staggering gait, no eating, vomiting, inflammation of the skin around the lips and nose, stomatitis, drooling, diarrhea, and hemorrhagic enteritis. Chronic: poor appetite, indigestion, stunted growth, anemia; sows have reduced conception rate and litter rate, miscarriage, premature birth, or stillbirth. Necropsy shows: extensive hemorrhage and damage to internal organs, myocardial hemorrhage, and enlarged liver and spleen.
Ochratoxin poisoning: This is a poisoning disease in which mold nephrotoxins cause damage to the kidneys and liver, and clinically it is mainly characterized by polyuria. When the ochratoxin content is 1 mg/kg and feeding lasts for 3 months, it can cause diarrhea, frequent urination, anorexia, and dehydration in pigs, along with stunted growth and low utilization. Necropsy shows rubber kidney, extensive degeneration of the liver, and a hard and brittle texture.
Ergot alkaloid toxin poisoning: Poisoning symptoms can appear within days or weeks, including depression, reduced appetite, increased heart rate and breathing, poor body condition, and lameness; in severe cases, necrosis of the tail, ears, and hooves and sloughing of rotten flesh occur.