Experimental trichothecene mycotoxicosis produced in broiler chickens by Fusarium sporotrichiella var. sporotrichioides

Fusarium sporotrichiella var. sporotrichioides (Bilay), cultured on . sterilised popcorn at 23°C and then at 8°C, 16°C and 23°C and fed as 50% of the diet, was lethal to 7-day-old male broiler chickens. The 8°C culture, containing T-2 toxin at 50 parts per million (ppm) and neo-solaniol at 5 ppm, was given as whole culture at dietary concentrations of 10%, 5%, 1% and 0% for 17 days and 1% for 42 days. Half the chickens that were fed the 10% diet died during the 17 days (5 ppm T-2 toxin and 0.5 ppm neosolaniol). The corresponding daily dose was 0.24 mg T-2 toxin and 0.02 mg neosolaniol/kg body weight/day. The chickens that died were dehydrated, had necrosis and depletion of lymphoid and haematopoietic tissues and necrosis of the hepatobiliary system, gastroenteric mucosa, feather epidermis and renal tubular epithelium. The survivors had anaemia, reduction of weight gain and transiently altered righting reflex. The comb and beak were pale yellow and the feather barbs were dishevelled. Survivors also had atrophied lymphoid tissues, reduced haematopoietic cellularity in the bone marrow, necrosis of oral and crop mucosa, vacuolated hepatocytes, hyperplastic bile ductules, and reduction of the thyroid follicular diameter.