The Veterinary Record 159:737-742 (2006)
© 2006 British Veterinary Association
Survey of pigs' kidneys with lesions consistent with PMWS and PDNS and ochratoxicosis. Part 1: concentrations and prevalence of ochratoxin A
A. Gresham, MA, VetMB, CertPM, DipECVPH, MRCVS1,
S. Done, DVetMed, BA, PhD, DipECVP, FRCPath, FRCVS2,
C. Livesey, BVSc, MSc, MRCVS3,
S. MacDonald, BSc4,
D. Chan, BSc, DPhil4,
R. Sayers, BSc, DipStat3,
C. Clark1 and
P. Kemp, BSc1
1 Veterinary Laboratories Agency - Bury St Edmunds, Rougham Hill, Bury St
Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 2RX
2 Pathology DepartmentS, Veterinary Laboratories Agency - Weybridge, New Haw,
Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB
3 Centre for Epidemiology and Risk Analysis, Veterinary Laboratories Agency -
Weybridge, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB
4 Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ
One thousand condemned pigs' kidneys were collected in February 2002 from
two pig abattoirs in England to assess the possible contribution of
ochratoxicosis to postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and
porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS); 250 of the kidneys with
macroscopic lesions consistent with nephrosis/nephritis (pale or white
cortical lesions) were selected, and the concentration of ochratoxin A was
measured in samples of renal cortex by high-performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC). Low concentrations were detected in 230 (92 per cent) of the kidneys
tested, and in 41 (16·4 per cent) of them the concentration was below
the limit of quantification of 0·2 µg/kg. In 187 (74·8 per
cent) of the kidneys, the concentration was more than 0·2 µg/kg, and
the highest concentration detected was 2·3 µg/kg. The mean (sd)
concentration was 0·31 (0·33) µg/kg. The identification of
ochratoxin A was confirmed by mass spectrometry. The concentrations of
ochratoxin A did not exceed the threshold assessed by the Food Standards
Agency to be safe for human food.
Copyright © 2006 British Veterinary Association
