Abstract :
[en] Mycotoxins intoxination is an emerging disorder in Belgium, due to evolution of cultural practices and harvesting weather conditions. These intoxinations are difficult to diagnose for the vet practioners, since unspecific clinical signs, and their impact on ruminant disorder remains controversial. Although legal concentrations have been established for mycotoxins in the EU, farm forages are most of the time not tested (EU 2006/576/EC).
In January 2015, a 500 calvings cross-bred Belgian blue cattle herd (BVDV free) referred a second (the first was directly sent to the rendering-plant) unexplained fatal case of jaundice on a 2 months-old calf to the Clinic for Ruminants of the University of Liège for necropsy. In 2013, a case of jaundice due to a Salmonella dublin hepatocholecystitis had previously diagnosed in this farm (Ronzoni et al., 2014), but so far preventions measures were implemented. Necropsy revealed generalized icterus, mild bilirubinuria, splenomegaly, but no precise etiology. On February a second 2 month old calf with jaundice is referred, lethargic, normothermic with a mild diarrhea, Calf shown generalized jaundice, anemia, elevation of leukocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes), TGO, bilirubinemia, total biliary acids and Globulins (alpha2). He had also diminished erythrocytes and albuminemia. Copraemia, leptospirosis serology, leademia, hemoculture and pancreatic enzymes were within normal ranges, ruling out classic causes of jaundice in calf. Abdomen ultrasonography revealed a mild hyperechogenicity of the liver but no gall bladder modifications. Symptomatic treatment was based on symptoms, with fluidotherapy and choleretics. A third calf was referred three days after in a worst clinical condition, with also a severely modified liver enzymes, but no anemia. Three days after, this calf died and a necropsy revealed petechiae and hemorrhages in the abomasum, congestive mucosae in the distal bowel, white depot in the kidney medulla, modified urine and splenomegaly. Bile bacteriology and leptospirosis PCR was negative and liver histopathology revealed a severe histopathological liver degeneration associated with a disruption of the parenchyma and marked hyperplasia of the bile ducts compatible with chronic metabolic disorder. Meanwhile, the anemic calf recovered from anemia without any treatment after 4 days and was discharged from the Clinic for Ruminants.
Considering the weird clinical patterns of these jaundice cases, and the fact that only calves from 2 to 3 months were affected, a nutritional origin as etiology was suspected. To test it, eight clinically healthy two to three months-old calves, of two different pens were sampled. TGO, GLDH, GGT or biliary acids were either modified and the values tended to increase with the age of the calves. The water was analyzed for classic toxics, and cultured for total germ content and everything were within recommended values. The calves fed with a milk replacer (30 % milk powder), and a commercial calf starter until one month of age. Then, they were given a mixed feed (containing cereal mix, cocoa, beet pulp, soja, maize), made at the farm from primary product/byproducts bought from different sources. The mix was tested for mycotoxins presence and ranged from 0.8 to 1.5 ppm of Desoxynivalenone (DON), and 115-215 ppb of Zearalenone (ZEA). The principal source of DON was maize (3.1 to 6.2 ppm), as for ZEA (0.3-0.6 ppm), but several compounds contained small dose of DON (0.2-0.7 ppm) for Barley feed, Tanned soja. Cacao contained 2.7 to 5.9 ppb of Ochratoxine (OTA). Nutritionnal recommendations were immediately given with a change in the source of maize and an addition of clay and yeast at 40g/calf/day and hay. Since, any other hypothetic origin to this progressive hepatic intoxination was demostrated, and that the doses founded, even if barely legal in the mix, are not accounted for toxic in the EU regulation, we believe that the calves were chronically exposed to these toxins. However, some mycotoxins experts still claim that various clinical signs would be observed in ruminants, if the rumen is partially defaunated, like in our case with the lake of forage. We propose that monitoring of subclinical liver health could be a key to screen DON effects.
