Swine aflatoxicosis outbreak in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Descreve-se um surto de aflatoxicose ocorrido no outono de 2004, em uma granja de suínos, no município de Sentinela do Sul, RS. O milho utilizado no arraçoamento dos animais e que causou a intoxicação, foi produzido e processado na propriedade. Morreram 7 porcas e 8 leitões, e foram relatados dois casos de aborto. Os sinais clínicos foram apatia, anorexia, icterícia, urina amarelada com sangue e fotossensibilização. A gama-glutamil transferase (GGT) e a bilirrubina total mostraramse elevadas nos animais necropsiados. Os principais achados de necropsia incluíam icterícia generalizada, fígado amareloalaranjado, edema de parede da vesícula biliar e presença de líquido amarelado nas cavidades abdominal e pericárdica. As lesões microscópicas mais importantes foram encontradas no fígado e consistiam em tumefação, degeneração e necrose individual de hepatócitos, proliferação de ductos biliares e colestase. O diagnóstico foi baseado nos sinais clínicos, nos achados de necropsia e de histopatologia e nos níveis altos de aflatoxina B1 (milho 3140ppb, ração 4670ppb) encontrados no milho e na ração.An outbreak of aflatoxicosis in a swine herd, which occurred in fall 2004 in the county of Sentinela do Sul, RS, is described. The corn, which contained the micotoxin and has been used to feed the animals, was produced and processed on the farm. Seven sows and 8 growing pigs died, and 2 cases of abortion were reported. The clinical signs observed were apathy, anorexia, icterus, yellowish urine stained with blood, and photosensitization. Gamma glutamyltransferase and total bilirubin were elevated in the 4 pigs on which post-mortem examination was done. The main macroscopic findings were generalized icterus, an orange-yellow liver, edema of the gall bladder wall and yellowish effusion in the abdominal and pericardial cavities. The most important microscopic changes were found in the liver and included tumefaction, degeneration and individual necrosis of the parenchyme, with ductal proliferation and cholestasis. The diagnosis was based on the clinical signs, macroscopic and histological findings and on the high levels of B1 aflatoxin found in the corn and ration