[BLANTYRE] Authorities in Malawi are investigating the sudden death of dogs in the last few months, with preliminary investigations pointing to possible aflatoxin contamination.
Aflatoxins are poisonous substances made by some fungi that can grow on food, including pet food ingredients such as peanuts, corn, and other grains.
An accumulation of the toxin in an animal’s body can lead to liver damage, blood clotting problems, and even death.
The Blantyre Society for the Protection and Care of Animals, a non-profit organisation that looks at the welfare of animals including giving treatment, has been receiving cases since April this year.
To date, at least 450 dogs have died, according to veterinary clinic manager Timothy Manda, who was part of the team that tested the dogs.
He said the dogs had been dying because of liver failure, with further tests confirming that the cause was aflatoxin.
Most of the deaths were observed in dogs that were being fed with Nsima — a thick porridge prepared from maize and a staple food in Malawi — or maize husks, according to Manda.
Tsankho Juma, assistant animal health officer at Chitedze Research Station, told SciDev.Net that about 60 per cent of maize in 20 districts of Malawi is affected by aflatoxin.
“Consequently, in the agriculture sector, it reduces feed value and hinders sales because of their ability to contaminate human food and animal feeds,” said Juma.
Manda said what started as isolated cases in the commercial capital of Blantyre city soon spread to other districts like Mulanje, Mangochi, and Zomba in the southern part of the country.
Deaths were also reported in the capital, Lilongwe, with similar clinical signs and post-mortem results, Manda added.
“This was something acute with the yellowish skin as the main presentation,” explained Manda.
“The dogs were getting weak, not eating, and sometimes vomiting,” he said, ruling out acute poisoning.
Manda said they have sent samples to South Africa and the UK for confirmation.
Julius Chulu, director of animal health and livestock development in Malawi, told SciDev.Net: “Samples have since been sent for further testing and analysis. If confirmed, this will be the first time to experience the death of canines of this magnitude within a short space.”
Last month, hundreds of dogs also died in Zambia after eating contaminated maize, as reported by Zambian media. The country’s health minister said samples of maize taken from milling companies contained high levels of aflatoxins.
In Malawi, mycotoxins such as aflatoxin are a major contaminant in cereals and groundnuts, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Malawi. It says aflatoxin is a major contributor to stunting and malnutrition in people and also has been linked to certain cancers.
Limbikani Matumba, professor of food analysis and safety and dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences and Natural Resources at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said good farming practices are crucial to the mitigation and management of toxins.
“The burden of aflatoxins is significant in the country but is not different from other countries in the tropics where the warm weather provides a conducive environment for the growth of the fungi,” he told SciDev.Net.
“What expedites the problem is how we grow our crops.”
He said choosing the right time to plant and the right variety of maize depending on the area was critical.
“People start preparing when the rain has come and plant late, sometimes with the wrong variety, which exacerbates the problem,” he explained.
“People also harvest when the crop is moist and put it on the veranda which leads to the development of molds.
“If we follow good farming practices that lead to better yield, the same practices can lead to control of aflatoxins.”
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
