Prevalence of ergot toxicity

International Poultry Production — Volume 14 Number 1 Ergot toxicity or ergotism is caused by ingestion of cereal or grass grains infected by the fungus Claviceps purpurea. The toxic agents (alkaloids) are produced by the fungus Claviceps purprea which attacks the embryo of the developing kernel forming a sclerotium, a black tangle of vegetative fungal strands. The sclerotium may contain more than 40 different fungal alkaloids. Ergotism is an ancient and well recognised condition in both humans and animals. In poultry, the consumption of feeds containing sufficient amounts of ergoty grains causes many signs. Signs of blackening of beaks, claws and feet, followed by necrosis of these parts are the most obvious. Ergot poisoning had been a major problem in livestock in the past. However, due to better management and safety checks in the feed manufacturing sector, the outbreaks of ergotism have declined in recent years. Consequently, even though the older producers may have experienced the problem first hand, the newer generation of professionals in the livestock sector are most likely to know ergotism only from textbooks. Nonetheless, the kernels infested with ergot are still present in many commonly used feed grade grains, albeit at a low level. In this context, the possibility of exposure to ergot with potential health consequences should not be underestimated. Here we report a recent experience where the cause of mortality was eventually associated with ergot poisoning, even though initially ergot toxicity was not considered. The experience gained from these cases illustrate that even at a low level of exposure, mortality due to ergotism may occur in an otherwise normal commercial setting and an in depth investigation is worthwhile. Furthermore, our cases demonstrate that ergotism may be more prevalent than apparent and hence, alerting the poultry growers to this seemingly dated and forgotten condition is necessary. Both cases were Fig.1. Poultry feed. The yellow arrows point to numerous ergot infested, dark brown wheat kernels. Prevalence of ergot toxicity