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Response of Calves to a Single Dose of Aflatoxin

United States Department of Agriculture, ^,2 Beltsville, Maryland 20705

Abstract

Twenty-Four male Holstein calves were assigned to eight aflatoxin dose groups with three calves per group. Each calf received a single oral dose of aflatoxin at the beginning of the 42-day experimental period. At aflatoxin dose levels of 0 to 1.0 mg/kg body weight, all calves survived; at dose levels of 1.2 to 1.6 mg/kg, two of three calves survived; and at 1.8 mg/kg, all three calves died. A single aflatoxin dose resulted in decreased body weights (P<.05), dry matter intake (P<.01) and plasma carotene (P<.05). Increased (P<.01) alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin and direct bilirubin were shown. All variables except total bilirubin showed (P<.01) animal/dose variance responses. The recovery of calves to many of the effects of aflatoxin poisoning was slow. The changes in some of the variables measured persisted for the duration of the experiment. Prolonged recoveries from a single dose of aflatoxin could seriously impair the production performance of some livestock species.

¹ Biometric Services Staff, A.R.S.

² Animal Science Research Division, A.R.S.