Aflatoxins in Animal and Human Health

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Although aflatoxins have been the cause of numerous deaths in livestock and suspected in some deaths of humans, the impact of aflatoxin consumption by a wide variety of animal species, including humans, extends much further than such a focal point. The economic significance of this group of toxins occurring in feeds and foods is through lowered productivity including meat and eggs, reduced weight gain, reduced feed efficiency, increased incidence of disease because of immunosuppression, and subtle damage to vital organs. Several human diseases have been recognized as being caused by aflatoxins, especially acute aflatoxicosis associated with highly contaminated foodstuffs (Shank 1977; Krishnamachari et al. 1975a, 1975b; Ngindu et al. 1982).