On Monday, Muharram 16, 1438H; corresponding to October 17, 2016, the College of Public Health and Health Informatics held a seminar under the title “Dangers of Mycotoxins of Aflatoxin Type on Health and Its Prevention Strategies”. The lecture was facilitated by Dr. Ramadan Ali Muhammad Badran, Microbiology Specialist and Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Health at the College of Public Health and Health Informatics at UQU, and attended by Dr. Fadel Muhammad Banjar, the Vice-dean for Educational Affairs, departments’ Supervisors, and number of faculty members from various departments.

Dr. Badran began the lecture with an introduction on the types of infection of toxic aspergillus mycotoxins that infect humans and animals, produced by fungi of two kinds: yellow aspergillus, and parasitic aspergillus, which are fungal secondary receptors. Types of infection, according to Dr. Badran, are many, including B1, B2, G1 and G2; of which B1 is the most widespread, though.

Furthermore, Dr. Badran explained how to detect these fungi through lighting on corps, and vital parameters in humans. He also pointed out that there are many places, environments, and climates in which fungal diseases spread due to many conditions, such as:  high temperature, high humidity, the existence of external pressures on agricultural corps, such as: periods of drought and insect infestation, as well as the availability of soil conditions favorable for the growth of aspergillus mycotoxins like high organic matter and high humidity. Over and above, Dr. Badran listed a number of infection cases and spread of aflatoxin-producing fungi among agricultural corps, birds and fishes in various places in the world that include the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

In addition, he explained a number of symptoms and illness cases caused by aflatoxin toxics; many of which could be fatal depending on the amount of toxic consumed, such as: abdominal pain, vomiting, and pulmonary edema. He also added that the most serious cases are liver necrosis and liver cancer, especially with the chronic exposure to this fungal toxic.

Besides, Dr. Badran tackled the prevention methods and how to avoid the exposure to this toxic through awareness, modifying the agricultural practices of irrigation, storage; such as drying techniques, processing; such as peanut packaging, pesticide use, harvest timing, and reducing the exposure to pests. Further, he added that prevention strategies, also, include enacting laws, quality control of the agricultural production, safety control of food processing and corps storage, educational outreach of the individuals and the society, early detection and medical treatment of health effects, hepatitis B vaccination, food diversification, and eating food enriched with components preventing the absorption of aflatoxin toxic.

As the lecture drew to an end, a fruitful discussion was held between the lecturer and the attendees on the natural shelter of these fungi, how to control it, the possibility of prevention through vaccines and vaccination; and conducting researches on that, how to detect the fungi-contaminated substances in peanuts and other products, the possibility of dismantling the fungi toxic through chemical and psychical means, and the availability of quick detection and check-up methods for this toxic.