Fusarium graminearum in a Papilloma Virus Infected Friesian Bull in Vom, Nigeria: Case Report

Importation of exotic cattle to improve the yield and productivity of the local 'White Fulani' breed of cattle has been on the rise in Nigeria. The problem most farmers faces with the Friesian has always been the adaptation to the weather and endemic disease conditions in Nigeria. Fungal infections represent an important complication for immunosuppressed animals and are associated with high morbidity and mortality (De Pauw and Meunier, 1999). Fusarium is one of the most important fungal genera, which includes many species that are pathogenic to plants and responsible for a broad range of diseases while others are highly mycotoxigenic (Viquez et al., ) and some cause opportunistic infections in humans and in farm animals. Fusarium graminearum (Gibberella zeae) is an important pathogen of commercial crops such as wheat, maize, and rice. Infection with F. graminearum causes yield losses in grains and degrades their nutritive, physical and chemical qualities, resulting in their being used for animal feed rather than for human consumption (Charmley et al., 1994). A contaminated crop can be salvaged by feeding it to livestock or poultry, but further losses may be incurred due to the negative effects of mycotoxins on animal performance. Potent toxins such as the estrogenic toxin zearalenone (F-2) have been reported by Vesonder and Hesseltine, (1980) but the most common mycotoxins produced by F. graminearum are deoxynivalenol (DON, also known as vomitoxin), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, and nivalenol belonging to a group of compounds known as trichothecenes (Homdork et al., 2000; Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, CAST, 2003). These mycotoxins are known to diminish feed consumption in domestic livestock, especially swine (CAST 2003). Because of their apparent tolerance for higher levels of dietary DON, Fusarium-infested grains are often fed to cattle or sheep as opportunity feeds. This may be due to little or insufficient information describing the pathogenesis and the ability of this plant pathogen to survive as they move through the gastrointestinal tract of cattle or on a compromised skin (Kedar and Gemerlyn, 2008).