Blantyre, Malawi — Malawi has recently recorded the sudden deaths of dogs that consumed meals prepared from maize husks contaminated with aflatoxins.

Veterinary experts say the country has recorded 450 dog deaths since April, when the first cases were identified in Malawi's commercial city, Blantyre.

Aflatoxins are toxic substances produced by fungi that grow on pet food ingredients like peanuts, corn and other grains. Experts warn that the accumulation of those toxins in an animal's body can lead to liver damage, blood clotting and, in severe cases, death.

Timothy Banda is the veterinary clinic manager at the Blantyre Society for the Protection and Care of Animals, which has been testing the dogs. He told VOA that symptoms include a yellowish tint on the dog's skin, hemorrhagic diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, and sometimes vomiting.

"For the past two, three weeks, we haven't received any death from the problem," he said. "But from the time it started somewhere around April up to somewhere around early August, the estimations could be somewhere around 450 dogs so far have died."

He said the aflatoxin contamination was suspected after it was observed that the dogs were not responding to treatment.

"Under normal circumstances, once we started the right treatment, we could get good results, but in this scenario, they were all dying despite whatever treatment was given. Nothing could work out," Banda said.

Banda said the affected dogs were those fed with nsima, a thick porridge prepared from maize or maize husks.

Alfred Manda, a resident of Chirimba township, told VOA that he lost three dogs in August.

"The kind of food I mostly give out to my dogs is nsima flour made from leftover maize called madeya," he said. "To me, I thought it was a healthy diet. I wish I knew earlier. I could have done things better to save my dogs, but unfortunately this is the sad reality that I have faced."

Health experts warn that aflatoxins can also cause tumors in the livers of animals and humans. But health officials in Malawi, where maize is the staple food, have not reported any human deaths resulting from consuming contaminated maize.

In Zambia, media reports indicate over 400 dogs died in July after consuming maize meal contaminated with aflatoxins.

Malawi authorities are advising dog owners to switch to alternative foods, such as rice, until the problem is contained.