• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Locations:
  • Canyon
  • Center
  • College Station
  • Gonzales
  • TVMDL Career Center
  • Contact Us

Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

Apple App

download on the Apple App Store
download the app on Google Play

Search

Translate:

  • Find a Form
  • Deliver a Sample
    • Specimen Collection Information
    • Packaging Samples for Shipment
    • Drop Off a Sample
    • Cremation
    • Order Supplies
  • Client Portal
    • Get Test Results
    • SVA Portal
    • Pay a Bill
  • Become a Client
  • Resources
    • TVMDL Bovine Testing Guidance and Reference Material
    • Diagnostic Plans
      • Bovine Syndromic Diagnostic Plans
      • Equine Syndromic Diagnostic Plans
      • Small Ruminant Syndromic Diagnostic Plans
      • Small Animal Syndromic Diagnostic Plans
    • Education Library
    • Case Study Library
    • Electronic Reporting: QR Coding Process
    • CoreOne Resources
  • About Us
    • Locations and Hours
    • Agency Leadership
    • Speaker’s Bureau
    • Texas Pullorum-Typhoid Program
    • TVMDL Mobile app
    • Contact Us
  • Locations
    • College Station Laboratory
    • Canyon Laboratory
    • Center Laboratory
    • Gonzales Laboratory
  • Contact Us

ELISA Screening Detects Fumonisin in Corn

May 24, 2019 by Mallory Pfeifer

ELISA Screening Detects Fumonisin in Corn
Travis Mays, Analytical Chemistry Section Head

A 3-year-old, male Quarter horse became ataxic and kept falling over, eventually being unable to rise. The horse ultimately had to be euthanized. The onset and severity of clinical signs occurred over a two-hour period. Serum was submitted to the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (TVMDL) for an Equine Encephalitis Panel and corn and feed were also submitted for fumonisin testing.

Results for Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus in serum were negative by ELISA. Corn and feed samples were screened by ELISA and one sample consisting of mixed grains and coarse ground corn tested positive for fumonisin at a concentration of 274 ppm. Diets containing greater than 5 ppm have been associated with Equine Leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM). High concentrations of fumonisin are usually associated with corn screenings or with corn waste that includes a lot of cob material. Corn contamination can occur at high levels when certain environmental conditions coincide with certain stages of the corn’s kernel production. The Fusarium mold that produces fumonisin grows at the base of the kernels against the cob, and it produces a reddish-pink pigment.

TVMDL recommends clients who are interested in testing for fumonisin contact one of our four veterinary diagnosticians for consultation. For additional information about TVMDL’s test offerings, visit tvmdl.tamu.edu or call 1.888.646.5623. To learn more about this case, contact Analytical Chemistry Section Head Travis Mays.

Molded corn and mixed grains in pile

Figure 1. The Fusarium mold that causes fumonisin produced a reddish-pink pigment in sample consisting of mixed grains and ground corn.

Filed Under: Case Study Tagged With: analytical chemistry, college station, corn, elisa, equine, mold, poison, toxic, toxicology, toxicosis, TVMDL

Primary Sidebar

Latest Case Studies

  • Rare case of ocular onchocerciasis in a dog from south Texas

    January 25, 2023

  • Cerebrospinal Nematodiasis (Visceral Larval Migrans) in Birds

    September 13, 2022

  • Spironucleosis (Hexamitiasis) in Quail

    August 9, 2022

  • Endocarditis in a White-Tailed Deer Caused by Trueperella pyogenes

    August 9, 2022

  • Pinkeye in cattle

    June 6, 2022

Footer

For Employees

  • Employee Email
  • TVMDL Rules & Procedures
  • TVMDL Career Center
  • Emergency Alert Systems
  • AgriLife People Directory
  • AgriLife Administrative Services
  • TAMUS Single Sign On
  • Facebook

State of Texas

  • Texas.gov Portal
  • Texas Veterans Portal
  • Statewide Search
  • Texas Homeland Security
  • Risk, Fraud, & Misconduct Hotline

Policies

  • Privacy and Security Policy
  • Accessibility Policy

Sign up for our species-specific newsletters!

Sign up for our species-specific newsletters!
  • Texas A&M AgriLife
  • Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Diagnostics Laboratory
  • Texas A&M Forest Service
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Research

483 Agronomy Rd
College Station, TX 77843