Avian ochratoxicosis: A review

Ochratoxicosis is one of the most common mycotoxicoses in poultry, specially commercial poultry. It is caused by most dangerous mycotoxin because it causes oncogenic effects in embryos, that is, ochratoxin A. The presence of ochratoxin-A in poultry feed contributes significantly to health disorders and decreases production. This is one of the causes of economic losses in poultry industry due to increased mortality, reduced body weight gain, reduction of carcass quality, greater feed conversion rate and immunosuppression. The risk associated with ochratoxin residues in poultry meat represents a public health concern. The present article reviews most significant scientific literature on ochratoxin and their possible detrimental effects on poultry birds and subsequent public health hazards. Recent studies have revealed that embryos, new born chicks and young poultry are more sensitive to ochratoxin A than adults. Ochratoxin-A has a high affinity for liver, kidneys, bursa of Fabricius and thymus. It causes an appreciable increase in the size of liver and kidneys where as the size of bursa and thymus is reduced. It also causes nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity with carcinogenic effect. In embryo, it causes teratologic defects in the form of anophthalmia followed by mandibular hypoplasia, micropthalmia, maxillary retrognathism, reduced body size, everted viscera, spina bifida and exencephaly. Biochemically it causes hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, hypoglobulinemia and hypoglycaemia. Similarly, it also causes increased levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, uric acid, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and serum triglycerides. In order to prevent and reduce implications of these mycotoxins in poultry feed, there is needs for both global and national strategic programs to reduce the residual accumulation of mycotoxins in grain, to use advanced analytic techniques and to establish new limits concerning the maximum amount of mycotoxins allowed in poultry feed and products from poultry for human consumptions. Key words: Ochratoxin, toxicity, teratologic defects, immunoglobulins.