Mycotoxins in Farm Animals: Health Disorders and Preventive Strategies

Dear Colleagues,

Food and animal feed contamination with various mycotoxins remains a high-risk agroeconomic problem, resulting in significant economic losses due to decreased growth performance and health disorders in farm animals as well as increased veterinary care costs. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi (e.g., genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium), which have toxic properties and are commonly found in cereal grains. Some major mycotoxins include aflatoxins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, fumonisins, and ergot alkaloids. The co-occurrence of mycotoxins under field conditions is common. Especially in Europe, mycotoxins’ occurrence patterns are expected to alter due to the increase in average environmental temperatures. For this reason, the risk of mycotoxins is increasing year by year because of climate change to warmer and drought-like environmental conditions. Traditionally, mycotoxin detection relies on laboratory examination, which is time-consuming and laborious. Thus, it is necessary to develop a more precise and quick detection methodology, such as using biomarkers for the detection of mycotoxins. The chosen biomarker should be specific for each mycotoxin and target species, reflect the real exposure load, and be easily detectable with sensitive analytical methods validated for the matrix used. Mycotoxin contamination can occur at any stage of the feed supply chain, including crop cultivation, harvesting, storage, and the distribution of crops as well as compound feeds. Preventative measures should be taken to minimize mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxin-detoxifying agents as feed additives are widely used for the control of mycotoxins in farm animals under field conditions. Depending on the mode of action, mycotoxin-detoxifying agents can be categorized into biotransforming agents and adsorbing agents according to a scientific report submitted to the ESFA; however, there is a continuous need for the development of novel detection and decontamination strategies for effective mycotoxin risk management. We look forward to receiving your contributions to this Special Issue in the form of original research, case studies, or review papers, shedding light on perspectives on mycotoxicosis in farm animals and its implications for health disorders, as well as on prevention strategies under field conditions.

Dr. Vasileios Papatsiros
Guest Editor

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