Zearalenone Toxicosis
Basic Information 
Epidemiology
Risk Factors
• Low toxicity except for reproductive effects. Adverse effects are proportional to the zearalenone concentration in the diet. Zearalenone is a stable compound in the environment and not readily altered.
• Cycling mares dosed orally with purified zearalenone, which approximated 1 mg/kg (ppm) in feed, for 8 to 10 days had no changes in luteal or follicular activity.
• One report of enlarged uteri and vulvas and vaginal prolapses in mares and flaccid genitalia in stallions fed barley straw and corn screenings for 30 days; approximately 2.7 mg/kg zearalenone was detected in feed by thin-layer chromatography.
Geography and Seasonality
• Occurs worldwide, especially in northern temperate climates and in high moisture grains and hays containing greater than 22% moisture.
• Zearalenone production is favored by alternating warm days (20°–25° C) and cool nights (7° C) during corn maturation and harvesting and in the fall haying during wet, cold conditions. Zearalenone can be found particularly in stored ear corn and in maturing corn after hail storms.
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