Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog aflatoxin poisoning outbreak in Gauteng South Africa 2011
By Arnot, Luke F et al.·Published in Journal of the South African Veterinary Association·2012·Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: An outbreak of canine aflatoxicosis in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
In 2011, an outbreak of aflatoxicosis (poisoning from mold toxins) affected around 100 dogs in Gauteng, South Africa, after they ate contaminated low-cost dog food. The dogs showed severe symptoms, including lethargy, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), vomiting blood, and bloody diarrhea. Many of these dogs had liver damage, and unfortunately, it is estimated that over 220 dogs died due to this contamination. The affected dog food was found to contain dangerously high levels of aflatoxins, with some samples showing levels as high as 4946 micrograms per kilogram.
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Abstract
Sporadic outbreaks of aflatoxicosis occur in dogs when they consume contaminated dog food. During 2011, low-cost brands of pelleted dog food were contaminated with very high concentrations of aflatoxins. Approximately 100 dogs were presented to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital. Clinically, the dogs were depressed to collapsed and icteric, with haematemesis, melaena and haematochezia. The most common pathological findings were icterus, gastro-enterorrhagia and hepatosis. On histopathological examination, fatty hepatosis and bile duct proliferation were observed. A consistent, very characteristic finding was the presence of a blue-grey granular material within the bile ducts. A total of 124 samples of the dog food fed to the affected dogs was analysed to determine aflatoxin concentrations. Concentrations ranged from below the limit of quantification (< 5 μg/kg) to 4946 μg/kg and six samples were submitted to determine the ratio of aflatoxins in the feed. It is estimated that well over 220 dogs died in the Gauteng Province of South Africa as a result of this aflatoxin outbreak.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23327140/