• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.174-177
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• 1998

Two 7 months old Korean native beef calves, which were suspected as ergotisms were referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospitals Chonnam National University in February 1997. Those showed severe lameness as a result of a dry gangrene of the lower part of both hindlimbs which unilaterally were detached, tail necrosis and retarded growth. On the skin of the extremities of both hindlimbs were clearly appeared indented line, hypertropic granuloma and hemorrhage, from which were isolated gicrosp$\theta$rum gysiNㅁt. On the X-ray views of hindlimbs and the longitudinal sectioned metatarsal bones were not observed any changes of osteomyelitis except slightly increased osteophytes and soft tissue swelling. Clnical and anatomical observations were suggested that these calves were affected by the ergotism.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.493-496
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• 2006

This study investigated cases of progressively necrotizing limbs in Korean indigenous calves. The recent case (Case 1) involved a 3-month old, male calf in Jeonbuk province that presented a visibly dry form of gangrene affecting joints of the forelimbs and the hind limbs. Radiograph revealed osteoarthritis possibly resulting from pressure of disrupted joint skin, fasciae, deeper underlying musculatures and tendon. Histopathology of affected tissue showed necrotizing; severely thrombosed dilated blood vessels with rechanneling microvasculatures. The lack of substantial infectious inflammatory exudates in the vital organs and the inability to respond to antimicrobial treatment bolstered the notion that the observed thromboembolic and vascular lesion was attributed to possible vasoconstrictive effects of ergot alkaloids. Case 2: A previously encountered similar case in a 4-month old, male calf showing gangrene of hind limbs and posterior ataxia was likewise presented. These two cases were impressed as probable ergotism. Ergotism may be uncommon or underreported in Korea. Future isolation of ergot alkaloids in feeds or in pasture is highly suggested.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.159-166
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• 1990

The ability of many toxigenic fungi to invade and develop in a wide variety of raw ingredients of human diet renders human exposure to mycotoxing very difficult to avoid. Most of the energy-rich commodities, such as cereal grains, oil seeds, tree nuts, and dehydrated fruits, are susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxins therefare have been recognized as an important class of hazardous substances in the human food chain. Although human exposure to mycotoxins is largely through ingestion, inhalation and skin contact may also be significant under conditions other than consumption of foods. Human ingestion of mycotoxins is due to consumption of contaminated dietary ingredients and the edible tissues and products of domestic animals that have been exposed to mycotoxins in moldy feed. Large scale acute human mycotoxicoses, such as ergotism in France, alimentary toxic aleukia in Russia, yellow rice syndrome in Japan, endemic nephropathy in Balkan countries, and acute aflatoxin poisonings in India and Taiwan, have been well documented, indicating that mycotoxicosis is a global problem. In some incidents, hundreds of victims were killed and many more became seriously ill. The mycotoxins that have been implicated in the etiology of these human diseases include aflatoxins, citreoviridin, cyclopiazonic acid, ergot alkaloids, moniliformin, ochratoxin A, trichothecenes, tenuazonic acid, and zearalenone. Among these, aflatoxins have been also implicated in the etiology of human primary liver cancer in those high-incidence countries in Africa and southeast Asia. It is well recognized that cause-effect relationship between mycotoxins and human diseases is very difficult to establish, especially for the cancer connection. Careful risk assessment must be performed to determine whether a mycotoxin indeed warrants costly regulatory actions.