It appears that pigs will often consume a sufficient amount of contaminated feed to induce vomiting. In fact, DON is also called vomitoxin because of its association with swine vomiting. T-2 toxin has detrimental effects on swine performance, but no effect levels have not been determined for commercial production environments. However, field observations indicated that T-2 and related compounds are associated with decreased productivity at feed concentrations of 200 ppb or less. Zearalenone will significantly affect the reproductive performance of swine.
Prepuberal gilts are the most sensitive to zearalenone.
The symptoms commonly observed when feeding diets contaminated with zearalenone include a reddening and increased size of the vulva, and increased size of mammary tissue. Zearalenone will cause embryonic mortality at certain stages of gestation. Fertility problems are often associated with zearalenone concentrations of 100 to 200 ppb in sow feeds. Heat stress, marginal nutrient plane, crowding, disease exposure, the presence of more than one mycotoxin, and drug interactions, as well other factors, increase animals' susceptibility to mycotoxins. Thus these recommendations must be tempered with knowledge of the animals involved.