REDesastres

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Aquí se comenta la situación crítica de contaminación de granos, tanto para alimentación humana como animal, a consecuencia del incremento de hongos productores de aflatoxinas debido a períodos de inundaciones después de intensas sequías. Las aflatoxinas ocasionan disímiles problemas, incluso cáncer hepático si las concentraciones son altas en los alimentos que se reciben en un período corto de tiempo. Una vez más, situaciones críticas por el desarrollo en cadena de diversos peligros desencadenando potenciales desastres mixtos que involucran la sanidad animal, vegetal y humana.

Saludos,

Maria Irian

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AFLATOXIN, GRAIN - MALAWI

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A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>

ProMED-mail is a program of the International Society for Infectious Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

Date: 16 Oct 2015

Source: Sci Dev Net [edited] <http://www.scidev.net/global/food-security/multimedia/malawi-toxic-harvest.html?utm_medium=email&utm_source=SciDevNewsletter&utm_campaign=international%20SciDev.Net%20update%3A%2019%20October%202015#>

Floods followed by drought have led to a 30 per cent reduction in Malawi'smaize harvest and left the country facing its most severe food crisis for over ten years. Between now and March, more than 2 million Malawians will struggle to find enough food, the UN's World Food Programme forecasts.

On top of this, much of the harvest will be contaminated with a toxin that can cause cancer and liver damage, and stunt children's growth. Aflatoxins are produced by fungi that contaminate crops including groundnut,maize, sorghum and cassava. The stress of drought increases the risk of contamination. Throughout the developing world, it is estimated that around 4.5 billion people are exposed to aflatoxins.

In Malawi, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics found that nearly 2/3rds of people tested were "highly exposed" to aflatoxins. They also discovered that 73 per cent of samples of groundnut powder were contaminated at levels above the European Union safety limit. This photo gallery [found at the original URL] visits an area of Malawi where aflatoxin contamination is common and examines work to prevent contamination and reduce malnourishment among children.

Communicated by: ProMED-mail < Esta dirección de correo electrónico está protegida contra spambots. Usted necesita tener Javascript activado para poder verla. >;

[There are many places in the world that the weather conditions of drought/flood or drought/moisture/heat have set up the perfect circumstances for aflatoxin to form.

Aflatoxin is a product of _Aspergillus flavus_ or _Aspergillus parasiticus_.

These are molds that produce a toxin. The mold does not have to be present for the toxin to be present. The mold may have been there, produced its toxin and died off, leaving the toxic signature behind. The mold does not always have to produce the toxin. In other words, just because the mold is there does not mean the toxin is there. Or the mold and the toxin may both be present. The point is, it has to be tested to know whether the toxin is present.

Climate conditions of high humidity or drought may set the corn up to produce the toxin.

Aflatoxin may persist in the grain/forage/fodder, which can be transferred to the milk. However, very high levels for a very short time may also cause liver damage in the animals or people.

Consequently, if the feedstuff is known to be higher than the allowable limit, then it is advisable not to feed it to the animals, and hopefully people will not consume it. Some countries have regulations regarding the limit that may be in food for human consumption, but some countries do not have that regulation in place.

We seldom see cancer in our animals from aflatoxin. The fact is that animals do not live as long as people, and there is not time to develop cancer. And we do see cancers in people from exposure to aflatoxin and other grain-based toxins in human food.

Aflatoxin will clear the body at a fairly rapid rate if the contaminated feedstuff is removed. Consequently, the level in the milk will also drop when the contaminated feedstuff is removed. Aflatoxin can pass through the milk of animals, and likely humans as well.

This situation presents several issues, starvation, cancer, and even transfer to milk for those mothers nursing infants. - Mod.TG

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: <http://healthmap.org/promed/p/176>.]

[See Also: 2013 ---- Aflatoxin, maize, milk - EU: 20130325.1601564 2011----

Aflatoxin, milk, cooking oil - china 20111231.3719 Aflatoxin, dog food -

USA: recall 20111230.3704 2010 ----

Aflatoxin, canine - Tanzania 20100711.2316 Aflatoxin, maize - Kenya (03): (EA) human cases 20100708.2276 Aflatoxin, maize - Kenya (02) 20100618.2044

Aflatoxin, maize - Kenya: alert 20100512.1543 2008 ----

Aflatoxin, livestock feed - Cyprus 20080824.2642 Aflatoxin, equine feed - USA: (multistate), recall 20080508.1574 2007 ----

Aflatoxin, peanuts - Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) 20070830.2863 2006 ----

Aflatoxin poisoning, fatal - Kenya 20060505.1306 Aflatoxin, dog food -Israel (02): RFI 20060216.0507 Aflatoxin, dog food - Israel 20060210.0445 2005 ---

Aflatoxin, dog food - USA (multistate)(04): recall 20051231.3719 Aflatoxin,dog food - USA (multistate)(03) 20051224.3676 Aflatoxin, dog food USA(NY)(02): multistate 20051223.3668 Aflatoxin, dog food - USA (NY)20051222.3657 Aflatoxin poisoning, fatal - Kenya (02) 20050521.1408 Aflatoxin poisoning, fatal - Kenya 20050514.1324 2004----

Aflatoxin, paprika - Hungary: alert 20041102.2970]