FUNGAL AND TRICHOTHECENES (TCT) CONTAMINATION OF POULTRY FEED FROM DUHOK PROVINCE, KURDISTAN OF IRAQ

Fungi are capable of reducing the nutritional value of food for human and animals and producing many mycotoxins. Mycotoxins-contaminated animal feed has adverse effects on productivity and animal health. As well, mycotoxins may be carried over into meat and eggs when poultry are fed with contaminated feed. Data on the occurrence of T-2 and HT-2 toxins in poultry feed from Kurdistan region of Iraq are very limited. T-2 toxin is the most toxic type A trichothecene mycotoxin. It is the secondary metabolite of the Fusarium fungi, and is common in grains and animal feed. Toxic effects have been shown both in experimental animals and in livestock. In this study a total of 30 poultry feed samples during October 2019 to June 2020 from Duhok province were analyzed for mycological and mycotoxin examination. Presence of T-2/HT-2 toxins was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Among the 30 analyzed samples ten samples (33.33 %) samples were contaminated with T-2/HT-2 toxins. Concentration ranging between 57-549 parts per billion.