Iraqi Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Abstract

Ninety eight samples of feed commodities (wheat, soybean and corn ) were collected during the period 2000–2004 from various broiler farms showed clinical signs of ochratoxicosis. Feed samples were divided into two equal parts, one for mycological study, for detection of feed commodities contamination with A. ochracous, and the other part for ochratoxin analysis using Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Mycological results showed that wheat samples show the higher percentage of contamination with A. ochraceus (73%) with log 10 CFU/gm of 2.77. Toxicological analysis shows that wheat samples had the highest rate of ochratoxin contamination (86%) followed by soybean (76%) and then corn samples (70%). Ochratoxin levels in all feed samples were ranged from < 100 ppb to 400 ppb. The importance of ochratoxin in poultry health was discussed.