Pathological findings in a natural outbreak of aflatoxicosis in dogs

The gross and histopathological lesions of 10 cases in a natural outbreak of aflatoxicosis amongst dogs in the Republic of South Africa are reported. The 10 cases were classified as acute (1 case), subacute (7 cases) and chronic (2 cases) on the basis of the nature, degree and extent of the following histopathological fractures: hepatocellular fatty degeneration, necrosis or regeneration; proliferation of bile ductules; accumulation of bile within the canaliculi; fibroplasia; and, mucoid degeneration, necrosis or segmental atrophy of the larger intrahepatic bile ducts. Fatty degeneration was noted grossly in the livers of all 10 cases and bile stasis in 4. Varying degrees of fibrosis were present depending on the stage of the disease. In the 2 chronic cases in which nodular regeneration was also observed fibrosis was pronounced. Other macroscopic findings included icterus, anaemia, ascites, hydrothorax, hydropericardium, anasarca, pulmonary oedema, gastro-enterorrhagia and nephrosis.