Mycotoxin Fumonisin B sub(1) Increases Intestinal Colonization by Pathogenic Escherichia coli in Pigs

The effect of dietary exposure to low doses of fumonisin B sub(1) on intestinal colonization by the pathogenic bacterium, Escherichia coli, was investigated in young pigs. Fumonisin B sub(1) is a mycotoxin occurring commonly in corn. Separate experiments were performed using the mycotoxin as either a crude extract or purified toxin. The resulting data showed that ingestion of fumonisin B sub(1) increased intestinal colonization by E. coli strain 28CNal. The dose of fumonisin B sub(1) administered in the study, however, did not induce clinical or pathological changes in the animals and had no significant impact on weight gain.