Nutritionist > Poultry

Ochratoxin
Ochratoxins are important storage toxins. They are produced by different fungi and are prevalent in temperate as well as in tropical regions.

Ochratoxin A is the most important of the ochratoxins. The primary effect of ochratoxin A in all poultry species is nephrotoxicity. In poultry the proximal tubules are mainly affected and the kidney is pale and grossly enlarged. As with aflatoxin, fatty liver can also occur due to ochratoxin exposure. In acute cases mortalities can occur due to acute renal failure. In young chicks, ochratoxin A is approximately three times more toxic than aflatoxin.

Ochratoxin has been implicated in significant field outbreaks of mycotoxicosis in poultry.

Clinical signs of ochratoxin toxicity include:

• Reduced feed intake
• Reduced growth rate and egg production
• Reduced feed conversion efficiency
• Mortality due to acute renal failure
• Poor egg shell quality and higher incidence of eggs with blood spots
• Reduced embryo viability and decreased hatchability
• Reduced feathering
• Polyurea with large volumes of wet faeces
• Pale and grossly enlarged kidney
• Fatty liver
• Urate deposition in joints and abdominal cavity (at high exposure levels)
• Depletion of lymphocytes and with it strong suppression of cellular immunity, thus enhanced susceptibility to viral infections.