RAJIV GANDHI INSTITUTE OF VETERINARY

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH

DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL NUTRITION

TRACKING PROGRAMME

“MYCOTOXINS IN DUCK”

DONE BY :
SAKTHIYAN.P
13BVS038
 MYCOTOXINS IN DUCK

Ducks are among the most sensitive species to mycotoxin

contamination, On the other hand, the global production of duck
meat and eggs is raising in the recent years, so it is necessary to
invest more resources to investigate the harmful effects of fungal
toxins in ducks, especially ducklings. Mycotoxicoses are diseases
resulting from consumption or exposure to mycotoxins. Mycotoxins
are secondary metabolites of fungi that can cause serious health
problems in animals, especially ducks. They are produced by various
molds belonging primarily to the species of the Aspergillus,
Penicillium, and Fusarium genera. Mycotoxins are produced both
pre- and post-harvest in crops and other feed and food commodities.
They have also been isolated and in some cases, abundant in straw,
dust, materials used for animal bedding, certain pasture grasses, hay,
medicinal herbs, fruits and nuts. Ingestion of mycotoxins can cause
acute, overt disease with high morbidity and death to chronic,
depressed resistance to pathogens and reduced productivity. Chronic
ingestion of low levels of mycotoxins can cause a wide range of
metabolic, physiologic, and immunologic disturbances in ducks.

MYCOTOXINS
Compared to other poultry species, ducks, especially ducklings, are
very sensitive to mycotoxins. They are 200 times more sensitive to
aflatoxins and 10 times more sensitive to T2-toxin than broilers. Co-
occurrence (contamination by more than one mycotoxin) is
especially dangerous.

While in chicken it is common to find lesions by mycotoxins in gizzard

and intestines, in ducks such injuries are rare. The immune system,
liver and heart are the most important target organs for mycotoxins
in ducks.
 Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin)

Unlike in chicken, DON does not produce lesions on the surface of

the digestive system of ducks. It does not affect neither nutrient
absorption nor feed use, but, when combined with aflatoxins, it
produces feed refusal.
The main negative effect of DON in ducks is immune suppression,
especially when found in feed together with zearalenone.

T2-toxin
 Ducklings (ducks 1 to 21 days old) are really sensitive to T2
toxin:

 From 0.2 ppm of T2 toxin, ducklings show oral lesions.

 From 0.3 ppm of T2 toxin, there is a reduction in weight gain and
feed intake, especially if contaminated feed is fed to the ducks during
several weeks.
 Higher levels of T2 toxin reduce the size of spleen and bursa of
Fabricius and depress the immune response.

Aflatoxins

Ducklings are 200 times more sensitive to aflatoxins than broilers.

The reason for this sensitivity is found in the liver: in ducks,
the hepatic enzymes responsible for the bioactivation of aflatoxins
are more active, while the hepatic enzymes responsible for the
detoxification and elimination of aflatoxins work slower than in
chicken.
AFLATOXINS PRODUCE:
 Lesions in liver and bile ducts
 Alteration of blood enzymes related to liver functions
 Interference with the enzymes that digest feed in the duodenum.
Decline in protein digestion and in feed energy use.
 Reduction of weight gain and worsen of FCR.
 Increase of mortality. 100% mortality at 1 ppm of total aflatoxins .

Ochratoxins
Ducks, especially ducklings, are highly susceptible to
ochratoxins.
 At lower doses, ochratoxins impact the immune system and
make the animals more prone to bacterial and viral diseases.
 At higher doses, ochratoxins cause severe liver toxicity.
Fumonisins
Ducks are quite resistant to the toxic effects of fumonisins, except
when there is co-occurrence of fumonisins and DON in the same
feed. In this case, even if both mycotoxins are found at low levels,
there will be an increase of mortality in the flock.

SYMPTOMS
 Feed refusal
 Diarrhea
 Blackening of the toes and beak
 Decreased egg production
 Impaired egg quality
 Oral lesions
 Altered feathering
 Increased water intake
 Weight loss or stunted growth
 Poorskin
DIAGNOSIS
 History
 Clinical signs
 Mycotoxin Multiresidue screen
 RT iq-PCR assay
 ELISA
TREATMENT
 Probiotics Have showed benefit at reducing the harmful effects
of mycotoxins
 Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) Berries, leaves, juice
and oil have shown to be of benefit in reducing the harmful
effects of mycotoxins in the diet
 Vitamins E and C Oral supplementation of additional vitamins
might partially counteract the toxicity of infection with multiple
mycotoxins
 Banana peel dried banana peel added to feed
 Turmeric extract (Curcuma longa)) 5 mg/kg in feed has shown
to provide protection against the toxic effects of aflatoxins on
the chicken's liver and kidney
 Bacillus subtilis 1000g/t added to diet helps offset the negative
effects of mycotoxins
 Black cumin (Nigella sativa) 2-5% added to feed
 Yeast extract (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 1 g/kg added to diet
 Neutral electrolyzed oxidizing water (NEW) Soaking
contaminated foods in 60mg/L available chlorine, pH 7.01) for
15 minutes at room temperature
 Mycofix Select Provides some protective effects against the
toxins
 Beer fermentation residue (BFR) 1% of feed, reduced severity
of the effects of aflatoxins Selenium Adding sodium selenite
(0.6 mg/kg)
 Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) extract 500 ppm
 PREVENTION
 Store feed in a sealed, rodent-proof container that contains no
holes.
 Do not let food ever get damp. Moisture is the number one
instigator for mold growth.
 Keep under 14% moisture. Feed should be inspected regularly
for temperature, insects, and wet spots.
 During wet weather ducks should not have access to compost
areas and uneaten decaying fruits and vegetables should be
removed from these areas at all times.
 Ensure your birds do not eat potting mixes and plant fertilizers
as these are common sources of toxic molds and bacteria.

CONCLUSION
It is necessary to understand the consequences of intoxication by
mycotoxins in order to protect the health of ducks and to take
corrective measures, such as performing the right quality control on
the raw materials and adding a mycotoxin binder to duck feeds.
REFERENCES:
 http://www.duckdvm.com/condition/mycot
oxicoses
 http://www.plusvet.eu/understanding-the-
toxicity-of-mycotoxins-in-ducks/
 ANIMAL NUTRITION BY D.V.REDDY