Aflatoxin
Aflatoxins are produced by molds of Aspergillus species before harvest and in storage. Aflatoxin B1is the most abundant and toxic aflatoxin and is often produced by Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxins affect liver function and cause immunosuppression (Osweiler and Ensley, 2012). Acute aflatoxicosis is uncommon in swine but causes severe liver lesions and signs are a consequence of liver disfunction, such as hemorrhages, jaundice, and sudden death (Osweiler and Ensley, 2012). Aflatoxin at lower doses is cumulative. Thus, chronic aflatoxicosis is more common in swine, as a result of ingestion of lower amounts of aflatoxin for a prolonged period of time and is expressed as lower feed intake and growth rate (Devreese et al., 2013). Also, the occurrence of secondary diseases can increase as well as response to vaccination can decrease because of immunosuppression (Pierron et al., 2016). Nursery pigs are more susceptible to aflatoxicosis than grower-finisher pigs or sows. However, suckling piglets are also considered susceptible to aflatoxicosis because aflatoxin passes through milk when sows in lactation consume contaminated feed.