The present study was conducted to investigate the etiology of sudden clinical manifestation and some mortalities in a large farm used for breeding of Arabian horses . The most prevalent symptoms were colon distension , predominant depression , watery diarrhea with fetid odour , severe congestion of mucous membranes and excessive sweating. Affected animals were arched back with unpleasant odour of respiration. Some animals exhibits laminitis and other showed hemiplegia. Some of affected animals died within one week of onset of symptoms. The history of the case was associated with the onset of the symptoms with the entrance of new feed lots of barely. Samples were collected from barely and subjected for mycological examination where some mycotoxin producing fungi e.g. Aspergillus species ( A. flavus A. parasiticus , A ochraceous) and Fusarium species were isolated and identified. The levels of some mycotoxins e.g. aflatoxin (B1; B2 ; G2 ; M1; ochratoxin A; Zearalenone and T 2 toxin were estimated in barely and tissue of dead animals. Immunological investigations declared a degree of immunosuppression in affected animals associated with histopathological changes and a significant decrease in Alfa and gamma globulin. Histopathological examination revealed congestion , hemorrhage , degeneration and necrosis with mononuclear inflammatory cellular infiltration in the liver , kidney and heart. Focal area of malacia, perivascular hemorrhage, edema neural degeneration and gliosis were the main brain lesions. Bacteriological culture of fecal samples and intestinal content recorded salmonella, enterococci, and pseudomonas and bacillus species. |
