Editing Mycotoxin (section)

==Health effects==
Some of the health effects found in animals and humans include death, identifiable diseases or health problems, weakened immune systems without specificity to a toxin, and as allergens or irritants. Some mycotoxins are harmful to other micro-organisms such as other fungi or even bacteria; [[penicillin]] is one example.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Keller NP, Turner G, Bennett JW |title=Fungal secondary metabolism – from biochemistry to genomics |journal=Nat. Rev. Microbiol. |volume=3 |issue=12 |pages=937–47 |year=2005 |pmid=16322742 |doi=10.1038/nrmicro1286|s2cid=23537608 }}</ref> It has been suggested that mycotoxins in stored animal feed are the cause of rare [[phenotype|phenotypical]] sex changes in hens that causes them to look and act male.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Melina|first1=Remy|title=Sex-Change Chicken: Gertie the Hen Becomes Bertie the Cockerel|url=http://www.livescience.com/13514-sex-change-chicken-gertie-hen-bertie-cockerel.html|website=Live Science|date=31 March 2011|access-date=12 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-12906196|title='Sex-change' chicken shocks Cambridgeshire owner|work=BBC News|date=31 March 2011|access-date=31 March 2011}}</ref> Mycotoxins impact on health may be "very hard" and can be categorized in three forms "as mutagenic, [[carcinogen]]ic, and [[Genotoxicity|genotoxic]]."<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yousefi|first1=Mohammad|last2=Mohammadi|first2=Masoud Aman|last3=Khajavi|first3=Maryam Zabihzadeh|last4=Ehsani|first4=Ali|last5=Scholtz|first5=Vladimír|date=2021|title=Application of Novel Non-Thermal Physical Technologies to Degrade Mycotoxins|journal=Journal of Fungi|language=en|volume=7|issue=5|pages=395|doi=10.3390/jof7050395|pmid=34069444|pmc=8159112|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===In humans===
Mycotoxicosis is the term used for poisoning associated with exposures to mycotoxins. Mycotoxins have the potential for both acute and chronic health effects via ingestion, skin contact,<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors =  Boonen J, Malysheva S, Taevernier L, Diana Di Mavungu J, De Saeger S, De Spiegeleer B | year = 2012 | title = Human skin penetration of selected model mycotoxins | journal = Toxicology | volume = 301 | issue = 1–3| pages = 21–32 | doi = 10.1016/j.tox.2012.06.012 | pmid = 22749975 | bibcode = 2012Toxgy.301...21B }}</ref> inhalation, and entering the blood stream and lymphatic system. They inhibit protein synthesis, damage [[macrophage]] systems, inhibit particle clearance of the lung, and increase sensitivity to bacterial endotoxin.<ref name=Godish01/> Testing for mycotoxicosis can be conducted using [[Affinity chromatography#Immunoaffinity|immunoaffinity]] columns.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-16|title=Immunoaffinity and further Clean-up Columns|url=https://www.lctech.de/en/products/immunoaffinity-and-further-clean-up-columns.html|access-date=2021-01-21|website=www.lctech.de|language=en-EN|archive-date=2021-03-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305041216/https://www.lctech.de/en/products/immunoaffinity-and-further-clean-up-columns.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The symptoms of mycotoxicosis depend on the type of mycotoxin; the concentration and length of exposure; as well as age, health, and sex of the exposed individual.<ref name=Bennett03/> The synergistic effects associated with several other factors such as genetics, diet, and interactions with other toxins have been poorly studied. Therefore, it is possible that vitamin deficiency, caloric deprivation, excessive alcohol use, and infectious disease status can all have compounded effects with mycotoxins.<ref name=Bennett03/>