First case of pithomycotoxicosis in sheep in the Netherlands

Pithomycotoxicosis, commonly known as facial eczema, is a hepatogenous photosensitisation in grazing ruminants caused by intake of sporidesmin-containing spores of the saprophytic fungus Pithomyces chartarum. Although this is a significant sheep disease in various countries in the world, it is rarely seen in Europe, and has been reported only once in the Netherlands, but in cattle. In October 2019, both sheep and lambs in a flock of 50 breeding sheep showed clinical signs of photosensitisation, including oedematous facial swelling, reddening of eyelids, ulcerative skin lesions, hyperpigmentation, and in some cases icteric sclerae. The combination of clinical signs, seriously elevated glutamate dehydrogenase, gamma-glutamyl transferase and total bilirubin, necropsy findings, course of events, time of the year, absence of known toxic plants or mycotoxins, strongly suggest that sporidesmin was the most probable cause of this case of hepatogenous photosensitisation, which makes this the first reported case of pithomycotoxicosis in sheep in the Netherlands.