title: Accidental fatal aflatoxicosis due to contaminated commercial diet in 50 dogs.
abstract: Aflatoxins, produced by Aspergillus spp., are toxic contaminants of stored grain. This study describes 50 dogs presented with foodborne aflatoxicosis. Common clinical signs included lethargy (78%), vomiting (76%), anorexia (74%), icterus (66%), depression (66%), melena (60%), haematuria (36%) and diarrhoea (36%). Common laboratory abnormalities included increased activities of aspartate aminotransferase (86%), alkaline phosphatase (84%) and alanine aminotransferase (79%), hypoantithrombinaemia (86%), prolonged prothrombin (PT, 82%) and activated partial thromboplastin times (aPTT, 80%), hyperbilirubinaemia (73%), hypocholesterolaemia (60%) hypoalbuminemia (47%) and thrombocytopenia (42%). Non-survivors had longer PT and aPTT and lower antithrombin (P<0.001) at presentation compared to survivors (23.8s vs.10.5; 37.9 vs.17.6s and 5% vs. 54%, respectively). Hyperbilirubinaemia (>56.6 μmol/L) and albumin concentration <32.5 g/L at presentation were risk factors for mortality (P<0.0001). Common complications included disseminated intravascular coagulation (58%), hepatic encephalopathy (35%) and acute kidney injury (4%). The mortality rate was 68%, suggesting that dogs with aflatoxicosis have poor prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12, Rehovot 76100, Israel. bruchim@agri.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bruchim
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segev
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sela
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bdolah-Abram
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salomon
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aroch
mesh_terms: D000348:Aflatoxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000662:veterinary; D001780:Blood Coagulation Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000401:mortality; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000348:Aflatoxins