Aflatoxicosis in Animal Products and its Public Health Importance: A Review

Abstract

Among all the mycotoxins, aflatoxins result in worldwide contamination of foods and feeds is a significant problem due to their extremely high toxicity and carcinogenicity effect on humans and animals. Aflatoxicosis is the poisoning that results from ingesting aflatoxins produced by the fungus Aspergillus species. It can cause direct animal losses, production losses, and trade limitations. However, the most alarming problem through time has been the presence of aflatoxin in milk, when eating contaminated forage all around the world. Aflatoxicosis has acute and chronic forms. Currently, aflatoxicosis has wider geographic distribution in animals and humans, however, the Incidence of aflatoxins in foods and feeds is relatively high in tropical and subtropical regions and this is mainly attributed to the risk factors physical, chemical and biological. All animal species are susceptible to this disease but the outbreak occurs mostly in pigs, sheep, and cattle. In animals, the toxin is processed through a number of competing pathways. Unfortunately, except for supportive therapy, there are almost no treatments for aflatoxin exposure. Prevention and control strategies for aflatoxicosis rely on biological control, testing feedstuffs, aflatoxin binders, and anti-fungal agents, blending down directing contaminated feed to least susceptible animals and Longer-term options include breeding for resistance in animals and breeding for lower susceptibility in crops.