What Are Mycotoxins: And What Are Their Effects to Human and Animal Health? From Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories Growth of commonly occurring moulds on foods and building materials may result in production of toxic complex secondary metabolic by-products referred to as mycotoxins. Moulds that produce mycotoxins are said to be toxigenic (or incorrectly toxic moulds). According to experts, five kinds of mycotoxins are important in human and animal health: aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, certain trichothecenes and zearalenone. It is believed the effect of mycotoxins as a cause of human mortality is underestimated. Mycotoxins can elicit a wide range of toxic responses including acute and chronic systemic effects in humans and animals that cannot be attributed to mould growth within the host or allergic reactions to foreign proteins. Exposure to mycotoxins can occur through ingestion, contact or inhalation of airborne particulates containing the toxins, including dust and mould components such as spores and mycelial fragments. In agricultural settings, mycotoxicoses (mycotoxin poisoning) in both farm animals and humans can result from oral, dermal, or exposure through inhalation of mycotoxin-contaminated grain or dust. The most widely known mycotoxins are the aflatoxins whose toxic effects were first realized in England in the 1960s when an outbreak of the so called turkey X disease killed over 100,000 fowls following consumption of contaminated peanuts. Aflatoxins are still a problem particularly in developing countries. In mid 2004 more than 100 people died in an East African country after consuming grains contaminated with aflatoxins. To read more about the effects of mold on human and animal health visit the link provided below. aspenenvironmentalservices/what-are-mycotoxins-and-what-are-their-effects-to-human-and-animal-health/
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 18:32:30 +0000
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