Although ducks are among the most sensitive species to mycotoxin contamination, the toxicity of mycotoxins in ducks is not as well studied as in chickens. On the other hand, the global production of duck meat and eggs is raising in the recent years, so it is necessary to invest more resources to investigate the harmful effects of fungal toxins in ducks, especially ducklings.

Overview

Compared to other poultry species, ducks, especially ducklings, are very sensitive to mycotoxins. They are 200 times more sensitive to aflatoxins and 10 times more sensitive to T2-toxin than broilers. Co-occurrence (contamination by more than one mycotoxin) is especially dangerous.

While in chicken it is common to find lesions by mycotoxins in gizzard and intestines, in ducks such injuries are rare. The immune system, liver and heart are the most important target organs for mycotoxins in ducks.

Deoxynivalenol (DON, vomitoxin)

Unlike in chicken, DON does not produce lesions on the surface of the digestive system of ducks. It does not affect neither nutrient absorption nor feed use, but, when combined with aflatoxins, it produces feed refusal.

The main negative effect of DON in ducks is immune suppression, especially when found in feed together with zearalenone.

T2-toxin

Ducklings (ducks 1 to 21 days old) are really sensitive to T2 toxin:

• From 0.2 ppm of T2 toxin, ducklings show oral lesions.
• From 0.3 ppm of T2 toxin, there is a reduction in weight gain and feed intake, especially if contaminated feed is fed to the ducks during several weeks.
• Higher levels of T2 toxin reduce the size of spleen and bursa of Fabricius and depress the immune response.

Aflatoxins

Ducklings are 200 times more sensitive to aflatoxins than broilers. The reason for this sensitivity is found in the liver: in ducks, the hepatic enzymes responsible for the bioactivation of aflatoxins are more active, while the hepatic enzymes responsible for the detoxification and elimination of aflatoxins work slower than in chicken.