Veterinary Microbiology

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Browsing Veterinary Microbiology by Subject "aflatoxin M1"

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    Detection And Evaluation Of Aflatoxins Contamination In Feed And Milk, With The Assessment Of Knowledge, Attitude And Practices Of Dairy Cattle Owners Towards Aflatoxin In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
    (Addis Abeba University, 2026) Chernet Balcha; Gezahagn Mamo
    Aflatoxins are toxic metabolites produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus that contaminate foods and feeds. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a highly carcinogenic and genotoxic compound. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a hydroxylated metabolite of AFB1 formed in the liver. This study was designed to evaluate aflatoxin contamination in raw milk and feeds intended for dairy cattle, as well as to assess dairy cattle owners’ knowledge, attitude and practices regarding aflatoxin and related health risks in Addis Ababa. A cross-sectional study was employed from December 2024 to May 2026, and a total of 60 pooled dairy feed and 40 raw milk samples were collected and analyzed for AFB1 and AFM1 using ELISA and Ultra-HPLC methods, respectively. The results showed that 88.3% of the feed samples were contaminated with AFB1 (276.05±239.74 µg/kg), and all of these exceeded the maximum limit set by the Codex (20 µg/kg). On the other hand, AFM1 was found in only 10% of milk samples, with a mean concentration of 0.019±0.01 μg/L, and all values were below the EU limit of 0.05 µg/L. A mean AFB1 concentration of 285.1±250.05 µg/kg was detected in 88.9% of pooled feeds containing commercial concentrate feed (p = 0.0251). In contrast, a higher AFB1 concentration of 317.7±290.1 µg/kg was detected in 90.9% of pooled feeds containing oil seed cake (p = 0.0724), indicating that it is an important source of AFB1. High level of AFB1 contamination was detected in 91.7% of feeds (652.2±300.19 µg/kg) stored under poor conditions than feeds (87.5%) from good storage conditions (177.54±54.87 µg/kg) (p = 0.0004). In addition, 90% of dairy cattle owners were unaware of aflatoxins in feed. Likewise, 91.8% of dairy cattle owners did not know about aflatoxin in milk. These results indicate a high level of AFB1 contamination in feed, highlighting the need for safe feed handling practices. The findings also stress the importance of increasing dairy cattle owners’ awareness of aflatoxins in feed, their transfer into milk, and the possible risks to dairy cattle and public health