The Rural Voice, 2000-11, Page 34r
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30 THE RURAL VOICE
Advice
According to Dr. David Miller, a
researcher at Carleton University and
an authority on fungi, damp or wet
straw can be a host for other fungi
that produce even more potent and
dangerous toxins than that produced
by Fusarium.
Straw can be sampled using the
same methods that are common for
sampling hay. However, the quick
(ELISA) test offered by most
laboratories for analyzing DON
appears to be unsatisfactory for
straw. Manitoba Agriculture suggests
that producers who wish to test their
straw should do so at a lab that uses
GC -MS (gas chromatography -mass
spectrophotometer) methodology.
Once the straw is tested, levels
similar to what is considered for feed
can, be used to determine the
potential risk. Obviously it will
depend on the level of toxin present
and how much straw is consumed,
but if the ration contains DON as
well, there could be an additive
effect.
An important consideration in this
whole issue is the human health risk
associated with handling mycotoxin -
contaminated materials. Anyone
using grain or straw suspected of
containing toxins should be just as
concerned about their own health as
that of their animals. According to
Agriculture and Agri -Food Canada,
mycotoxins and the molds that
produce them are health hazards. The
toxic effects associated with
Fusarium mold and mycotoxins
include allergies, skin irritation, poor
appetite, headache, vomiting, gastric
and intestinal irritation, hemorr-
haging, increased sensitivity to
disease and reproductive problems.
Research to date has focused on
the risks involved in handling
contaminated grains. In 1993, Labour
Canada considered requiring that
workers who handle Fusarium -
contaminated grains wear protective
gear. At that time, Dr. Miller and
personnel from Health Canada and
Labour Canada carried out a risk
assessment of grain handlers. Their
findings lead them to the conclusion
that exposure to mycotoxin -
contaminated grain did not pose a
significant risk for toxin -induced
disease. However, another study in
Norway, where grains are